Fork it! - September 2011
We are constantly advised to include more native flora in our gardens in order to attract native fauna. However, one of the main criticisms of British wild flowers is their lack of vibrancy – a palette of pastel shades and off-whites that suit our muted northern hemisphere sunlight. Even the more vibrant hues of our glorious bluebell or violet are from the colder end of the colour spectrum. It seems we have become so accustomed to the exotic reds, oranges and bright pinks of imported plants that we cannot appreciate the subtler charms of our indigenous species. In much the same way perhaps that nutritionists fear that our tastes are being blunted by over-salted, sweetened and artificially flavoured fast foods, so that we find plain home cooked foods dull and unappetising!
And yet if you look around there are some real splashes of colour in the wildflowers, even in late summer. The ditches are resplendent with purple loosestrife, verges still glow with the yellows of ragwort and milk thistle and the mauve of rosebay willow herb brightens up rural and urban spaces.
Would you want any of these plants in your garden however? Indigenous planting may be very low maintenance, as native species do not require the ground to be cultivated or fed and, if the plants grow wild in your area, then they will obviously be happy with the climate and soil conditions. In fact the main problem is going to be curbing their expansion e.g. one rosebay willowherb plant will produce 80,000 seeds!
To find out what plants will grow naturally in your garden dig up a patch of 2 square metres to a depth of 60 cm and bring that soil to the surface. Seed of most native plants can remain dormant but viable for years, but with light and moisture will start to germinate, so that you can observe your experimental patch to see what flowers. If you don’t fancy turning part of your garden into a “laboratory”, then observe what grows near you in the wild and identify it in a reference book. Richard Mabey’s “Flora Britannica” is a brilliant read, full of fascinating facts and folklore, although not every plant description is accompanied by a photograph or illustration. There is also “Starting out with Native Plants” by Charlotte de la Bedoyere.
If you decide to include some native species you must never uproot them from the wild. You can collect seeds, which although time-consuming is at least free, or look at www.floralocale.org which “aims to promote the wise use of native wild plants for planting schemes” and has advice on finding reputable seed merchants and nurseries. You can also type in your postcode at the Natural History Museum’s “Flora for Fauna” website to find out what native species grow near your home.
As you do more research you may be surprised to find out that many species that have established themselves here are not native at all, but quite recent arrivals. Despite colonising railways and any bits of rough ground, buddleias hail from China, while the purple rhododendron seemingly so at home in our woodlands is in fact an escapee from Victorian gardens that was originally brought from the Himalayas!
“Flora Britannica” by Richard Mabey, published by Chatto & Windus
“Starting out with Native Plants” by Charlotte de la Bedoyere published by New Holland £14.99
