Wild Flower Grassland Establishment in Lancashire
Most commercially available wild flower seed mixtures contain species inappropriate to Lancashire. As a general principal we specify that wild flower seed/plugs used in landscaping should originate from native NW England genetic stock or at least be of guaranteed native British provenance. Such seed is now available from specialist commercial suppliers. The supplier used should have adopted the Code of Practice for collectors, growers and suppliers of native flora produced by Plantlife and Flora Locale.
The maximum wild flower and grass seed sowing rate should not exceed 5g/m2.
The following species are typical of species-rich grasslands across the County. For a general seed mixture it is best to keep things simple. We recommended that the wild flower component of a seed mixture should contain about ten herb species from this list.
Grasses |
|
| Scientific Name | Common Name |
| Agrostis capillaris | Common Bent |
| Anthoxanthum odoratum | Sweet Vernal-grass |
| Briza media | Quaking-grass |
| Cynosurus cristatus | Crested Dog's-tail |
| Festuca rubra ssp rubra | Red fescue |
| Poa trivialis | Rough Meadow-grass |
Herbs for Dry Areas |
|
| Scientific Name | Common Name |
| Achillea millefolium | Yarrow |
| Campanula rotundifolia | Harebell |
| Centaurea nigra | Common Knapweed |
| Conopodium majus | Pignut |
| Hypochoeris radicata | Common Cat's-ear |
| Lathyrus pratensis | Meadow Vetchling |
| Leontodon autumnalis | Atumn Hawkbit |
| Leontodon hispidus | Rough Hawkbit |
| Leucanthemum vulgare | Oxeye |
| Linum catharticum | Fairy Flax |
| Lotus corniculatus | Common Bird's-foot-trefoil |
| Pilosella officinarum | Mouse-ear Hawkweed |
| Plantago lanceolata | Ribwort Plantain |
| Primula veris | Cowslip |
| Prunella vulgaris | Selfheal |
| Ranunculus acris | Meadow Buttercup |
| Ranunculus bulbosus | Bulbous Buttercup |
Rhinanthus minor (over-sow in early autumn) |
Yellow-rattle |
| Rumex acetosa | Common Sorrel |
| Sanguisorba officinalis | Great Burnet |
| Stachys officinalis | Betony |
| Stellaria graminea | Lesser Stitchwort |
| Succisa pratensis | Devil's-bit Scabious |
Herbs for Damp Areas |
|
| Scientific Name | Common Name |
| Achillea ptarmica | Sneezewort |
| Ajuga reptans | Bugle |
| Caltha palustris | Marsh Marigold |
| Cardamine pratensis | Cuckooflower |
| Crepis paludosa | Marsh Hawk's-beard |
| Filipendula ulmaria | Meadowsweet |
| Lotus peduncularis | Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil |
| Lychnis flos-cuculi | Ragged Robin |
| Valeriana dioica | Marsh Valerian |
Establishment and Aftercare
For a wild flower grassland scheme to succeed on made ground attention must be paid to initial ground formation, seed bed preparation and management during the establishment phase and subsequently.
Management proposals should take account of the following:
- Sowing should take place between August-October or March-mid May.
- In the first year of establishment the sward should be cut to 50mm whenever a height of 100mm is reached. The arisings should be removed.
- Over-sow yellow-rattle (Rhinanthus minor) in the autumn following the initial sowing. Yellow-rattle is hemiparasitic and can help to reduce the vigour of grasses.
- For years 2-5 following sowing use a weed wipe to treat any invasive weed species (e.g. broad-leaved and curled docks, thistles, knotweed etc.)
- A single yearly cut is usually inadequate. Three cuts to 50-70mm per year are likely to be required: Spring (mid-late April), Summer (mid July-mid August, after yellow-rattle has set seed), End of season (October).