Wild Flower Meadows; another Olympic legacy
From the moment Danny Boyles’ superb Opening Ceremony started, launching the 2012 London Olympics, wild flowers were in the spotlight. The mound upon which the various flags were later planted was created using cultivated wild flower turf and looked stunning and so original.
Meanwhile large areas of the wider Olympic park were designed to be at their most floriferous for the duration of the Olympics and Paralympics, created to have a gorgeous naturalistic look, and frankly be a cost effective solution for planting up large expanses of flowers.
The impact was such that numerous commentators have been wheeled into studios in an attempt to provide guidance on creating such meadows.
But as with so many things great effort lies behind what appears so simple and there are several ways of creating the look.
Instant impact is created by laying a wild flower turf but the cost of such turf is often prohibitive.
Plugs of wild flowers can often provide a cost effective solution, whilst seeing the results of sowing with a seed mix is just so satisfying and even cheaper.
With either of these methods, preparation is key. Fertility has to be kept low in most situations, to avoid vigorous grasses out-competing wild flowers. Nasty plants such as docks, thistles and nettles need to be addressed, including any seed banks of 
these which may later germinate, and the mix of wild flowers needs to have regard to the local habitat and underlying ecology.
Finally a maintenance regime needs to be established.
Here at The Garden Design Company, we have been creating meadows of many styles for the last 10 or 12 years, so our expertise with wild flowers is considerable, for frankly they are an art not a science. Do get in touch if you would like to find out more.
