The English Cottage Garden Nursery
SEEDS
Buy seeds
It is worth bearing in mind that a lot of wildflowers take a long time to germinate and some often need a period of exposure to cold before they will even consider putting in an appearance - so patience is required, often over many months. Seed that requires a period of cold (stratification) is indicated on the seed packet. This means that the seed will need sowing in trays of compost (peat-free if possible) in autumn and left outside to receive all the frost and snow that the weather throws at them. They will then germinate in the spring (Cowslips and Primroses are good examples of seeds that need stratifying). Alternatively the seed can be emptied into small polythene bags of compost or vermiculite and placed in a fridge for a period of 6 weeks and then sown into trays and placed outside.
Other seed can be sown in spring or autumn, under cover if possible, in trays of peat-free compost and kept moist until germination. Once germinated and the seedlings are of a size that makes them easy to handle (although some maybe extremely small!), prick them individually into rows in another tray or, if large enough, into 7 cm pots (one seedling per pot). Thistles are usually big enough to go straight into pots after germination (or can be sown one seed per 7 cm pot of compost), whereas Bladder Campion, for example, fares better if transferred into another tray or plug cells before finally going into pots. Once the plants are well established in their pots they can then be planted out. Some plants, such as Toadflax can be multisown (ie, fill a pot almost to the brim with compost, sprinkle some seed on and then cover seed with more compost) straight into 7 cm pots of compost and planted out when of a good size.
Annual seed, on the other hand, can be sown direct where you want it to grow, in April.
If the prospect, and challenge, of growing your own plants appeals to you, we can supply seed. Seed is available either as single species or in mixes for various meadow types. Our shop has a wildflower seed department and seed mix department from where you can choose the seed you require.