Wildflower seed mix appropriate for North Exmoor

[Goldian0]

Hi all
Just moved to Oare near Lynton and have an acre or so in which we would love to replace the hugely overgrown grass with a wildflower meadow - relevant area is circa 1/8th acre without tree cover - would anyone be so kind as to recommend an appropriate wild flower seed mix relevant and acceptable to the Exmoor National Park area in which we are situated?

Many thanks in anticipation of an informed opinion
Thanks
Ian

[Amy]

Hi, you don't have to buy in seed.

This opinion is informed by the references below:

The Plantlife recommended action is to let it naturally regenerate.

This statement is substantiated in the excellent publication: Keeping the wild in wild flower
https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/our-wor ... -questions

backed up by:
How do I increase the quantity of wild flowers in my meadow - on the associated Moor Meadows website
https://moormeadows.org.uk/information/ ... ers-guide/ and this website also deals with the preliminary issue of your overgrown grass

and
this page would be useful - How to restore a meadow- https://moormeadows.org.uk/information/ ... -a-meadow/ (though the flora locale links are redundant - instead try the Meadows hub below)

for a general overview - Plantlife Meadows Hub - https://meadows.plantlife.org.uk/ Which I suggest is more relevant to your location than a garden meadow website

Given your extremely sensitive and precious location, I would urge you to consider natural regeneration as the top priority,

And only as a very very last resort
and if you really feel that you do not have any worthwhile seed bank and must buy seed, then buy local seed - as recommended by experienced forum members who are also Moor and More Meadows steering group members here - More Meadows Forum Making Meadows Seeding Buy Local seed wherever possible
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=55

and in that case contact Devon or Somerset Wildlife Trust who may sell dry seed or provide green hay.

You will see commercial suppliers recommended here, but for your case I think their seeds have too distant a provenance.

Otherwise someone very local to you and on here may offer you some seed or divisions - try also the MM email exchange and the facebook page.

In my personal experience, divisions are often more reliable than seed, especially for a small area, but you'd have to visit my naturally regenerated meadow just outside the southern edge of Exmoor for evidence to back up that opinion, (you can be assured of a warm welcome).

[Amy]

North Exmoor - Oare
Looking at the map for the Buglife B lines, it appears that Oare is on or very close to one of the B lines and you might like to consider adding your meadow.
https://www.buglife.org.uk/our-work/b-lines/

"Everyone who lives, works, owns land or goes to school on a B-Line can help, even if only in a small way."
https://www.buglife.org.uk/our-work/b-l ... f-england/

B-Lines Insect Superhighways Report:
Table of contents
Foreword .................................................................................................................... 1
What are B-Lines? ................................................................................................... 2-3
Mapping B-Lines......................................................................................................... 4
Putting maps into practice.......................................................................................... 5
Case Study 1: The John Muir Pollinator Way.............................................................. 6
Case Study 2: West of England B-Lines....................................................................... 7
Case Study 3: Get Cumbria Buzzing! .......................................................................... 8
Case Study 4: South Wales B-Lines ............................................................................ 9
Case Study 5: Restoring Ryedale’s Lowland Meadows............................................. 10
Wider benefits of B-Lines......................................................................................... 11
How can I help?................................................................................................... 12-13
https://cdn.buglife.org.uk/2021/03/B-Li ... TAL-01.pdf

[Nick Mann]

Not sure if it's helpful a year on, but this year we have meadow seed for sale harvested from Nettlecombe Park, west of Monksilver: https://www.habitataid.co.uk/products/e ... w-seed-mix
As the comments earlier in this thread, do use a seed mix as a last resort.

[Amy]

Thanks Nick. Did the land manager at Nettlecombe Court specifically sow the meadow and from where did the seed originate? or was it naturally regenerated? My question is prompted by the abundance of daisies in your picture on your website. I have the impression that daisies are more of a colonising plant for disturbed earth, but perhaps the meadow is part of the very old sheep grazed wood pasture/deer park or an old hay meadow and the daisies have persisted in that abundance for decades? I'm also very curious about the absence of knapweed, because on the west side of the moor, knapweed is abundant on the road verges. As you know the managers, or your suppliers do, do you think they would let us know if they or their forbears have discouraged any knapweed because it is heating for hay or for some other reason, or perhaps there is some geological reason for the absence? Is it right that that valley area has relatively good grade fertile soil and a warm climate (for Exmoor)?

[Kim]

Looking at the map for the Buglife B lines, it appears that Oare is on or very close to one of the B lines and you might like to consider adding your meadow.
https://www.buglife.org.uk/our-work/b-lines/

Thanks Amy, I discovered our wildlife garden (meadow) is right in the middle of the B-line heading down from Exmoor, so I have just registered our plot.

[Kim]

Not sure if it's helpful a year on, but this year we have meadow seed for sale harvested from Nettlecombe Park, west of Monksilver: https://www.habitataid.co.uk/products/e ... w-seed-mix
As the comments earlier in this thread, do use a seed mix as a last resort.

Thanks, Nick. I needed to buy some seed today for a small project in a recreation field. Nettlecombe is 40 miles from us, so I am pleased that it is reasonably local too. Just fits the bill. I recognise every species as being on the site already, except Pepper Saxifrage, so I am not afraid of introducing inappropriate plants. It will be exciting to see what comes up. We have Common Knapweed already on site.

[Nick Mann]

Hi Amy - so far as I'm aware it's a well established meadow, but I can ask the harvester for more detail. I agree about the knapweed, although I would expect to find it in small quantities; most likely it has been the victim of a regime of relatively early cutting.

[Amy]

Thank you, Nick. I should be very grateful if you are able to ask the harvester about both the daisies and the knapweed.

I am very curious because I haven't noticed ox eye daisies growing anywhere on Exmoor, other than ones which are close to houses, and which are most likely to have been specially sown. I have never noticed any daisies growing 'in the wilds' of Exmoor, neither in the valleys nor on the heights, nor on the outskirts of the National Park. I've been thinking that the daisies do not grow naturally around here.

The online Devon Flora says the daisies are common throughout the county, so perhaps I have been unobservant on my travels across Exmoor, though ox eye daisies are the most obvious flower of any, or perhaps the daisies still mainly persist on private land.

Perhaps some other MM members here have old Exmoor meadows, and have ox eye daisies which haven't been introduced or otherwise sown "artificially", and can enlighten me please?

Nick - if the Nettlecombe Court meadows have not had seed introduced - might you ask the land manager if they would consider including the meadow as part of the Moor Meadows Open Invitation, please?