More on wildflower plots

Some time ago I mentioned wildflower plots which are quite a trendy concept in today’s gardens, combining as they do eco-credentials with busy modern lives (i.e people can say they are green when in fact they are just lazy).

This was a beautiful wildflower garden in mid-July.  I am not being flippant here – it really was lovely.

Here is the same plot today.

So for six weeks tops it was a riot of colour, and for the rest of the year, it is either barren earth or scruffy looking weeds.  Yes – I did just use the “w” word which is seriously untrendy now.  The “Picture It” app for plant identification I use on my phone has three categories for this “not considered weeds”, “sometimes considered weeds” and (this is the really seriously silly one) “considered weeds by gardeners” – I mean who else is doing the considering – plumbers? software developers? aliens?  Anyway – it regards virtually nothing as weeds, not nettles, not ground elder.  Bindweed just steals into category 3 but you could tell the authors didn’t have their heart in it.

Most of these wild flowers, pretty as they are, don’t belong in gardens.  They are too short lived as decorative plants, seed themselves everywhere, and are difficult to eradicate when they have established themselves.

They are pretty in July though..