Wildflower Meadow
Hampshire

 A seemingly barren expanse of chalk downland has been transformed into a diverse and rewarding wildflower meadow that is a haven for wildlife and a joyful pleasure for its owners.

Carefully selected, locally gathered, wildflower seed suitable for the soil and context was broadcast by hand and protected with a scarecrow in the early months of establishment.  Annual seeds were mixed with the slower-growing perennials to ensure a ‘good show’ in the first year.

Sensitive ongoing management has ensured native wildflowers from March to September.  Each year, the gentle use of yellow rattle suppresses grasses which, in turn, offers further opportunities for new species to find a home here.  Orchids and rare germanders have arrived even though they were not included in the original seed composition. 

The meadow is now alive to bees, butterflies and other pollinators which provide as great a spectacle as the wildflowers themselves.