Create A Wildflower Patch - One Little Thing
Do you want to Bring Bees & Butterflies into your garden this summer by sowing wildflowers in your garden?
Then, why not try our One Little Thing this week & create a small wildflower patch in your garden.
Each week on our One Little Thing Series, we will have one small action which any individual can take to fight Climate Change, which when done collectively in our community (and beyond) can make a big difference!
There are 97 bee species in Ireland, 20 are colony bee species and 81 are solitary bees.
50% are now threatened and in decline.
Wildflower Meadows & Patches are important habitats for bees and other pollinating insects. We can all help by doing One Little Thing & growing native Wildflowers in our own home areas and communities.
This is done by simply purchasing native and local-provenance seeds, finding a small, non-fertilised patch in your garden and then planting them.
There are two windows of opportunity during the year for sowing wildflower seeds in Ireland; Spring (March - June) and Autumn when soil temperatures are 6-10 degrees Celsius.
How to prepare the soil for planting?
Prepare a stale seedbed as far in advance of sowing as possible. Begin the process by removing grass, weeds and any other plants from the area you plan to sow.
Loosen, or lightly turn the soil over to a depth of about 4 inches.
Level the soil off with a rake or harrow and compact the soil using a roller or walking all over. This will increase germination.
When the weeds and grass have germinated the young plants (weeds/grass) should be eradicated.
Carry out this process 1-3 times depending on the rate of unwanted plants.
How to sow wildflower seeds outdoors?
Firstly, rake the soil creating a fine, crumbly texture of the soil.
Scatter each container of seed over each section.
Create good seed-to-soil contact by pressing the seed into the soil by walking over the area or using a roller. Or lightly rake the soil, careful not to bury the seeds too deep, the seeds should be covered to a depth no deeper than 1mm.
Water the seeds lightly making sure not to wash the seeds away, continue to water during dry weather.
This may not seem like a lot, but if all of us take the small step of growing a wildflower patch, we can create a corridor of wild flowers around the country for our bees & other pollinators.
