Amateur Gardening – 24 August 2019

12 AMATEUR GARDENING24 AUGUST 2019

Wildflower essentials

ToptipsfromRuthoninvitingnatureintoyourgarden

W

ITHeachyearthatpasses,
ourwildflowermeadow
becomesmoreprolificand
attractsmoreinsectsand
birds.Westartedoffwithyellowrattle,
sowntoweakenthegrassrootsand
makeit easierforwild species to
pushthrough.
Thishassincebeenfollowedby
devil’s-bitscabious,knapweed,ragwort,
yarrow,ox-eyedaisiesand,in spring,
speedwell,buttercupsandself-heal.The
placeis alivewithbutterflies,mothsand
beetles,andwe’veseenmanybirds
pokingaroundthelonggrasslooking
for ants and other food insects.

It is nowtimetogivethemeadow

it’slate-summercut.Traditionally,thisis

knownasthe‘haycut’andis whenthe

bulkof plantmaterialis removed.

Thecutgrassandflowersshouldbe

leftlyingfora fewdaystodryandsothe

seedscanfallontothesoil.Collectthe

mowingsafterwardsotherwisethey

willenrichthesoiltoomuch.

■In a recentreviewof theGardena

long-handledshears,westatedtheyare

availablefromHomebase.Wehavesince

beeninformedbyGardenathattheyare

not,thoughtheycanbeboughtfrom

othersuppliers.Wedoadviseyou

check first before going to purchase.

Collectingyellowrattleseedsbefore

cutting back our wildfl ower meadow

Cinnabarmoth

caterpillarsand

soldierbeetles

on ragwort

24:BeekeepingDemonstration:

RHSHarlowCarr,CragLane,

Harrogate,NorthYorksHG31QB.

✆ 0203176 5830,rhs.org.uk/

gardens/harlow-carr

26:ReallyWildLearning:RHS

Rosemoor,GreatTorrington,

Rosemoor,Torrington,Devon

EX388PH.✆ 0203176 5830,

rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor

26:RHSMembersGardening

Advice:RHSHarlowCarr

29:FalconryDisplay:RHSRosemoor

30:RHSMembersGardening

Advice:RHSHarlowCarr

31:BeekeepingDemonstration:

RHSHarlowCarr

September

1:RarePlantFair:AdwellHouse,

Thame,OxonOX97DQ.✆ 01278

661352,rareplantfair.co.uk

1:PlantheritageAutumnPlant

Fair:RHSHarlowCarr

1:PlantHunters’Fair:NessBotanic

Gardens,Ness,Neston,SouthWirral

CH644AY.✆ 0151795 6300.

planthuntersfairs.co.uk

2:RHSMembersGardening

Advice:RHSHarlowCarr

3:GardenTourswiththeFriends

of HarlowCarr:RHSHarlowCarr

3-8:RHSWisleyFlowerShow(free

toRHSmembers):RHSWisley,

WisleyLane,Woking,Surrey

GU236QB.✆ 08456121 253,

rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley

4:LateSummerWalkwiththeHead

of HydeHall:RHSGardenHyde

Hall,CreephedgeLane,Rettendon,

Chelmsford,EssexCM38ET.✆ 0845

265 8071, rhs.org.uk/gardens/

hyde-hall

■Senddetailsandimagesof

[email protected]

■Alldetailsaresubjecttochangewithoutourknowledge,

sopleasecheckthat the event is still going ahead before

leaving home.

Things to

do near you

WisleyFlowerShowtakes

place in early September

What’s

on

Four easy ways to attract wildlife

2

Plantpollinator-friendlyplantsand

avoidover-fancyblooms that are

hard for bees to get to.

3

Leaveplentyofcoverforforaging

hedgehogsandtheywillmunch

your slug and snail population.

4

Makesurebirdshaveplentyof

freshfoodandkeepbirdbaths

clean and topped up with clean water.

1

Putin a pond.Youdon’tneeda

vastexpanseofwateranda half-

barrel makes a good patio pond.

Wildflowerspreferpoor

soil,soavoidwateringand

feedingareaswherethey

willgrow– it willalsohelp

thegrassoutcompete

anyblooming

plants.