“A walk through a wildflower meadow at the height of its midsummer glory is at once intoxicating and restorative; bringing both joy and peace into our busy lives. The tragedy is that this is an increasingly rare experience.
My own meadows at Highgrove are home to over 70 different wildflowers and grasses — from the humble ox-eye daisy, cock’s-foot or bird’s-foot trefoil, through to the glamour of the seven species of orchid that have now become established.
But there is hard work behind a meadow’s soft tapestry. The meadows at Highgrove were created around 35 years ago from a seed mix devised by Dame Miriam Rothschild to replicate the natural flora for the old meadows of Gloucestershire that had been lost over time.
Years of patient care, including a traditional annual hay cut followed by grazing in the autumn, have resulted in the meadows that delight so many of our visitors. Slowly, the wildflowers have established and started to spread, the yellow rattle within the mix helping to suppress the grasses. Even more satisfyingly, new species have arrived and naturalised as the conditions suited them.
The meadows at Highgrove are home to over 70 different wildflowers and grasses
HUGO RITTSON THOMAS
There is no doubting the scale of the appalling loss of meadows from the British countryside, with over 97 per cent having vanished since the 1930s. In an attempt to stem this terrible loss, I asked Plantlife to lead the Coronation Meadows partnership with the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, all of which I am patron of. The idea of the Coronation Meadows initiative was a simple one: to find the best surviving meadow in each county and to use seed from that meadow to create a new one.
Plantlife and its partners have put the spotlight on these fragile fragments of our heritage, creating an awareness and renewed energy around meadow-making. The success of the Coronation Meadows shows just what it is possible to achieve with dedication and patience. To do so will also have the great and added advantage of benefiting a host of pollinating insects and bees which are also under such threat . . .
To step into a wildflower meadow is to step out of time. Whether a cherished area of one’s garden or part of the wider farmed landscape, meadows hold a special place in our hearts.”
Extracted from Wildflowers for the Queen: A Visual Celebration of Britain’s Coronation Meadows, photographed by Hugo Rittson Thomas, with a foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales, published by Wildflower Press (£50) with proceeds from sales going to Plantlife; plantlife.org.uk
Start small: how to plant your own Highgrove
Cowslips would look lovely in window boxes
GETTY
The key to a meadow is the intermingling of plants, a tapestry of colour that looks enchanting, but also encourages wildlife, especially bees and other insects. Plant a lot and plant them right, and you can enjoy a succession of flowers over a long season.
Start with the container, the bigger, the better, but not too deep. Nothing more than 18in as wildflowers don’t need deep, fertile soil, so choose something like loam-based, peat-free compost and add lots of drainage. Top tip? Plug plants will establish faster, and always buy from a reputable wildflower nursery. Also, avoid a shady spot as wildflowers love growing with their heads in the sun.
First up are celandines (Ranunculus ficaria) — the variety ‘Brazen Hussy’ is a beautiful spring-flowering perennial, forming mats of incredible bronze-black foliage from which contrasting bright yellow, buttercup-like flowers appear in spring. Pair with cowslips (Primula veris), which are plentiful in Highgrove early in the year. Utterly charming and pretty, the chrome-yellow flowers encapsulate the joy of spring.
Cheerful bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) is another yellow hue, and its pea-like egg-yolk flowers make it perfect for planting near the edge and spilling out. It lasts for most of the season, and as well as being great for pollinators is the secret backbone of the ecosystem of the meadow, supporting more than 140 different species of insect.
Snake’s-head fritillary
ALAMY
The arrival of early spring is heralded by the hanging lanterns of the snake’s-head fritillary (Fritillaira meleagris). This exquisite, more refined flower is traditionally found in water meadows, so it will need a bit more moisture.
Any long-flowering season would not be complete without red clover (Trifolium pratense), with its trefoil leaves and pinkish-red, rounded flower heads. Zigzag clover (Trifolium medium) is equally lovely and spreads around a little more.
The pinkish-purple flowerheads of betony (Betonica officinalis) recall ancient pastures and, if you spot it in the wild, it is an indicator that you are standing somewhere special. Its large flowers in mid-late summer are an important source of nectar, especially for long-tongued bees. Plant the beautiful blue harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) alongside.
Slightly taller — but not as high as the bullish ox-eye daisy or the wild carrot, which might overwhelm a container — the wood crane’s-bill (Geranium sylvaticum) will give your display height. The pinky-white blooms when they come are welcome and generous. A wild flower of old northern hay meadows, it keeps on giving as the leaves turn a russet colour before the frosts.
One of the best pollinators to add to your tapestry is musk mallow (Malva moschata), most often found in a pretty baby pink, but you can also track down a more subtle refined white. It produces a delicate, musky smell that increases indoors.
For a shimmer of late summer colour — and to attract butterflies — add small scabious (Scabiosa columbaria), with its appealing little blue or lilac pin-cushion flowers.
Finally, top it all off with common spotted orchids (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) that steal the show at Highgrove. Relatively recent arrivals, they’ve found it to their liking and have romped through the meadow, a host of nearly 6,000 lilac maidens in the grass.
It is the ultimate in low-maintenance gardening. All you need to do is cut back hard in August or September, and your wildflowers should grow back all the stronger the next year.
The Plantlife botanical specialist Trevor Dines spoke to Helen Davies. Sign up for his free tips and a monthly wildflower gardening article; plantlife.org.uk