This wildflower calendar details the seasonal productivity of:
Common knapweed – Centaurea nigra
Cowslip – Primula veris
Ribwort plantain – Plantago lanceolata
Common vetch – Vicia sativa
Black medick – Medicago lupulina
Viper’s bugloss – Echium vulgare
Oxeye daisy – Laucanthemum vulagre
Salad burnet – Sanguisorba minor
This wildflower print is the perfect gift for gardeners as it shows how our native British flora can work in harmony with existing planting schemes to create borders that work hard year-round. By choosing a range of plants that serve a purpose outside of their flowering period it is possible to increase the biodiversity and productivity of your outdoor spaces.
For example,
Cowslips are one of the earliest wildflowers to come to bloom and are an important food source in early spring, their golden yellow flowers give off a pleasant fragrance that attracts pollinating insects. Only pollinators with a long proboscis, such as bumblebees and butterflies, can reach the nectar through the flower tube but some pollen is also available for wild bees. Scatter cowslip seeds in gaps in your garden borders and enjoy the sight of their semi-evergreen crinkly, tongue-like leaves which give shelter to insects and pollinators and provide ground cover long into the autumn and early winter.
And did you know,
The ribbed-green rosette leaves of ribwort plantain are the larval food plant of the Heath Fritillary and Glanville Fritillary butterflies and support their larvae (caterpillars) as they emerge from hibernation in spring. And, throughout the summer right until the first frosts, the tightly clustered brown flowers with creamy white anthers are a vital source of nectar for the Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus), and Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae) butterflies.
Gardeners looking for green manure options should note that,
Common vetch thrives in vegetable gardens as a compost crop, enriching the soil with carbon and nitrogen and preparing it for future plantings. Sow seeds in autumn in beds that require preparation for early spring planting, especially when the soil may be difficult to work, as it has a strong root system which can help to break up compacted soil.
Pin up this wildflower productivity calendar in your potting shed or hang it on the wall of your kitchen. Its delightful design will intrigue and inspire all who see it.
