Lotus corniculatus
bird's foot trefoil
- Position: full sun
- Soil: well-drained soil
- Rate of growth: fast
- Flowering period: May to September
- Flower colour: yellow
- Hardiness: fully hardy
Originating from sunny pastures and open rocky sites, these long-lived perennials are ideal for gravel gardens, meadows and other naturalised planting schemes. Their bright yellow flowers take on an orange hue as they age, and will provide a good source of nectar for bees and butterflies. They are fast growers and once established may become invasive, which is useful if you want to cover a large area quite quickly. Prompt dead-heading will help keep clumps smaller. - Garden care: Soak the seeds in water for 24 hours or gently scarify before sowing. In early spring or autumn start them off under glass, sowing the seeds shallowly in good seed compost and keeping them moist (but not wet) until they germinate. Thin out when they are large enough to handle and pot on. Gradually harden off before planting out in late spring or early summer. Alternatively, sow them directly into a well-prepared bed when temperatures are warmer. Seeds sown in autumn have a good chance of producing flowers in their first summer.
- Sow: March - May or August - October
- Flowering: May - September
- Approximate quantity: 100 seeds
Geranium sanguineum
bloody cranesbill
Magenta flowers. Good in acid soil
£7.99
2 litre pot
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Centaurea scabiosa
greater knapweed
Wonderful in naturalised planting schemes
£2.49
approx 20 seeds
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Aquilegia vulgaris
columbine
Looks good in most settings
£2.99
approx 100 seeds
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Papaver rhoeas
field poppy
Brilliant red flowers. Ideal for a meadow
£2.49
approx 5000 seeds
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
How to make a new lawn
There’s nothing like a lawn to bring the various disparate elements in a garden together. It’s easy on the eye and helps highlight other more ornamental features within in the garden. Best of all, it adds much needed space to...
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