Homebase Wildflower Plug Plant Collections

[balkantrek]

I see that the homebase website is advertising a variety of different wildflower plug plant collections:
Search for Wildflowers: Quality Garden Plants from Crocus.co.uk

Grasses for a wildflower meadow
Wildflowers for a boggy meadow
Wildflowers for a shady meadow
Wildflowers for a sunny meadow
Wildflowers for a stronger colour sunny meadow
Wildlfowers for attracting butterflies
Wildflowers for attracting bumblebees

These collections contain 104 plug plants (of 13 different species) to cover an area of 21m² (planting 5 plants per 1m²). The price of each collection is £79.99.

The website states: 'The plugs are young plants, not seedlings, and cost just over 64 pence each. Each individual plug's root volume is approximately 55cc, with a diameter of 36mm and a depth of 60mm.'

So a few questions:

Has anyone used plug plants such as this to help establish small meadow areas in their lawns or other parts of a suburban garden?

Is it likely to be an effective way to establish plants or is it better to try and develop a meadow area from seed?

Is £79.99 for 104 plug plants a reasonable price, or are there better value and quality sources?

[Jez]

Make sure they are of native stock, before going ahead and purchasing these, I wouldn't want to enrich my meadows with these If I found out that they were grown abroad!!!

[Jez]

The wildflower specialists who I buy from sell there native plugs all grown from native stock seed and have been doing so for over 25years now sell 150 plugs at £65.00 I'll send you alink if your interested?

[Jez]

If it's a meadow you want to create then go with seed as it's cost effective, I personally have used plugs in a meadow of different flowers that weren't in the seed mixtures and have proved well! Though mainly I have bought plugs for the garden borders.

Cheers Jez

Apologies didn't intend to write so many posts, if it looks like I'm just bumping my post count up! :embarrassed:

[balkantrek]

Thanks for your comments. Yes, the 'native stock' issue is important, so I would be keen to know your recommendation for a good source.

I am tempted to have a go at both methods in different sections of the garden, making a small meadow patch from seed and also planting some plugs in an old lawn area.

I am aware the seeded method is far more cost effective, but think an area of lawn planted with some plugs will help to keep my young son happy as he impatiently waits to see 'more instant' results in the first year!

[Johnny Redgate]

Ive had a quick look at the mixtures and, as in the majority of such, there are many appropriate and some inappropriate species and an awful lot depends on your particular soil type. So I would check this against the ecological preferences of species in each mix.

Personally, I have found plug plants insufficiently robust for planting into vigorous grassland. I also think they are expensive. You could grow them on a bit I suppose. Better to grow your own. Unless you are looking for uncommon species you could find many of the species you would want for a summer meadow in a flowery road verge e.g. Bird's-foot Trefoil, Knapweeds, Scabious, Oxeye Daisy etc. Some species need a cold treatment but an easy way is to sow seeds (several of a species into a plug with soil based compost) when available and if germination doesn't occur leave in a sheltered spot e.g. under a north facing wall until next spring at least and see what takes. Some species grow from seed very readily. I currently have loads of Common Knapweed, Betony, Bird's-foot Trefoil and Devil's-bit Scabious which I am going to pot on (to 7cm pots) and then transplant into my grassland. The whole process is fun and your seed will be native. You could buy seed to sow as individual species from say Emorsgate or Johnsons especially for common species that may be less easy to find in an easy place for collecting. I'm lucky because I know of several very good verges near me. You should have the landowners permission I suppose, but I doubt anyone will mind about a roadverge (unless it is a protected one!) and you will only need a few seed heads. You could also see if you can find some Yellow Rattle to sow into the grass as when this is abundant the grass is held in check.

Seed mixtures will work but you really do need infertile soil to give the less competitive wildflowers a chance. I have had good success on colliery spoil and subsoil based habitat creation projects. Only the most robust species are likely to do well in fertile soil incompetition with vigorous grass.

Have fun.

John