Buy local seed wherever possible

[David Crook]

If you can source local seed, you not only know where it comes from (always good to know), but also it’ll be fresh and locally suited; provided the seed collected is going to a site with similar characteristics i.e. damp meadow seed to a damp site, with similar nutrient levels.

The reasons given by plant expert Trevor Dines from Plantlife for sourcing local seed are really compelling:

"It’s always best to use seed sourced as locally as possible. This not only helps preserve the identity and character of our flora, but new evidence suggests that there can also be biological consequences to sowing seed sourced from afar. Plants grown from seed of local origin (i.e. sourced from within your own county or from neighbouring counties):

grow better and flower more profusely than those from further away, therefore producing more nectar, pollen and seed
are more likely to grow and flower at the right time when local invertebrates are also active and need to feed
can actually cope better with warmer seasons than plants brought in from warmer areas further south, dispelling the myth that we need to grow plants from further south in preparation for climate change.

As if to bring this point home, a colleague recently asked why some bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) he’d brought for his garden on Anglesey always flowered about a fortnight before those growing wild in the hedgerows. It turns out they came from S.E. England (probably Cambridgeshire) and it seems they’re retaining their original genetic clock, flowering earlier than the local Anglesey bluebells. A small difference maybe, but perhaps not if you’re an early-emerging bumblebee".

[David Crook]

Emorsgate seeds https://wildseed.co.uk/ are good and have a mix for almost any situation. They should be able to supply most of your needs; the site also has lots of helpful information for those restoring wild meadows or creating them from scratch. Then later in the summer get some bales of fresh cut hay from other unimproved fields around to spread over to add back in any other local species.

You could also try Goren Farm https://www.goren.co.uk who are just outside Honiton.

The Moor Meadows web site https://moormeadows.org.uk/ has lots of really useful info and advice as well.

[Steve Pollard]

More than sourcing seed locally I think it's really important to source seeds of local provenance. By that I mean from old meadows that haven't had seed introduced. Getting seed from a neighbour's meadow that has been sown with bought-in seed doesn't mean it's local seed. I think this is especially important on field scale sites (I don't think it matters so much in urban, garden meadows).

Example - in 2015 to quickly fulfill the prescriptions of an agri-environment agreement, I sowed half an acre in one of my fields with some seed bought from Emorsgate. Amongst this was Common knapweed, which took really well, and every Summer has been a lovely sea of purple. However, it flowers much earlier than unintroduced, local knapweed in surrounding fields and verges - perhaps two to three weeks earlier, so that by the time it has finished flowering, the local provenance seed has only just started flowering. As Common knapweed is one of the later flowering meadow species, this very different growing season has the effect of reducing late-season nectar availability. The likely reason for the disparity in flowering times within this species, is that the bought seed has been selectively harvested for many years, strongly favouring the early flowering plants within natural variation.

[Amy]

To introduce or not to introduce?

So if the natural seedbank has not been destroyed and we have also topped up with local hedgerow seeds - should we resist the urge to "garden" our meadows and resist adding in wild flower seed which would grow well in the local conditions and add to biodiversity, but may not be local/native to the area?

Update: This Q is answered in the publication: Keeping the Wild in Wild Flowers by Plantlife. Please see the link in my post below of 7 May.

[Amy]

Seed is not the only way - if anyone wants to come and dig up clumps of certain wet meadow plants from the edge of Exmoor - you are very welcome - April is a good time to take divisions - or you could take cuttings of purple loose strife in Jun/July - pm me.

[Steve Pollard]

Amy - Following my uncertain experience, described above, I am personally hesitant to introduce further species to most of my meadows, with the result that many of them are herb-rich, but not especially species-rich. At the moment I am prefering to wait and see how the meadows regenerate naturally, as I find the process interesting. Maybe in another 5 or 20 years I'll regret this choice, but that is what I am currently mostly doing!

[mike jefferies]

This is not a criticism of your ideas but I think it is worth pointing out that your Fleabane is a fantastic late flower for insects. In my opinion you would be doing them a service by leaving it alone!
No one enjoys the sight of a wild meadow more than I do. However- I want to provide as many nectar and food plants for as long as possible. To me it is not the meadow that is important it is how in fits into the whole cycle of things.
Three or for years ago I discovered the wonders of Purple Toadflax. I know, I know it's not a trad meadow flower (and I don't care) but it is adored by almost every insect, it flowers for a large part of the season and seeds like crazy. What's not to like? Visually it also looks great next to standard Toadflax.
Discuss.
Best wishes Mike.

[Amy]

Habitat Aid Blog - Sowing Wildflowers in Spring by Nick Mann April 12, 2021
suggesting people consider the late summer / autumn window as preferable to spring.
https://www.habitataid.co.uk/blogs/blog ... -in-spring

https://www.habitataid.co.uk/blogs/blog ... -our-times discusses the yellow rattle harvest last year and reasons for failure of some of the crop

https://www.habitataid.co.uk/pages/wildflowers-advice links to other websites he recommends.
He also lists his own seed suppliers.https://www.habitataid.co.uk/pages/our-suppliers

[Amy]

Adding to bio diversity - or a mistake - yet again edited this post because - Again - Plantlife to the Rescue.
For anyone at the very start of their meadow plans - or anyone getting into a muddle as I have done - I commend to you this simple flowchart on page 4 of Plantlife's Keeping the Wild in Wildflower
https://www.plantlife.org.uk/applicatio ... AQ_WEB.pdf

[Amy]

Mike - fleabane - fantastic for insects? Lucky lucky you. I feel dubious about rampaging fleabane precisely because very little seems interested in it. The very occasional fly or butterfly. Perhaps it's the altitude, temp, wind.. Perhaps the insects prefer the other plants on offer. Surrounding land uses are woodland, water, dairy, sheep and beef so we should have plenty of insects. Sign of the times? (apologies for straying off topic, David)