Make your own meadow

Here's how to create your own

THE fields by the side of the A1 as I drive to work are ever changing.

Just a few weeks ago they were filled with sunny yellow buttons of a thousand dandelions, and now they have been transformed into fluffy, grey fields of clock heads. The bare bones of the winter hedges are now resplendent in a creamy white coat of may flowers. The blue green foliage of the rape seed has burst into a brilliant, eye-dazzling lemon haze, and the bland grassy blades of the barley is now a soft green sea.

We spend so much time carefully sculpturing our borders and gardens, and yet nature can do such amazing things by herself. A stroll through any field or meadow that has been left to its own devices will reveal a host of wild flowers, each mingling with its neighbour in a happy floral tapestry. Meadows are apparently disappearing at an alarming rate, thanks to the growth in housing, changed farming techniques and the simple fact that people like to mow everything right down to the ground in order to keep it neat. The trend in recreating small mini meadows in our own gardens though is on the increase.

TO create your own meadow you do not need a lot of space, but you will need time and persistence. The ideal location would be on the site of an existing lawn, but you would first have to remove the lawn. This is where the time is spent. Many people make the mistake of planting plugs or sowing seed straight into the lawn, but this will only result in a few straggly plants as the grass, being such a competitive weed, starves anything else of water and food, and eventually crowds it out of existence. In order to get rid of as much grass as possible, it better to skim off a good layer of the soil along with the turf. Store any grass you want to use later upside down, with the grass on the bottom. Otherwise, the pile of upturned turf will rot down to form a beautifully crumbly compost within a period of six months.

The alternative is to start from scratch with a new patch of land or border, but it is a very rare occurrence that you find neatly tilled, empty expanses of land.

More often than not you will have to undertake some form of weed removal and soil turning. Either way, what you are looking for at the start of the project is a clear, brown, level area on which to set your meadow off in.

The next decision is whether to plant small specimens or to sow the area to seed. One deciding factor may be what type of meadow you are actually after, and what plants you want in it. If you like annuals, then seeds may be your solution. If you prefer perennials then small plants will be better. A mix of the two is quite fun but usually ends up, after several years, being dominated by the perennials as they are stronger and more resilient.

Perennial plants would include such beauties as cowslips, primroses, scabious, cranesbill, clover, knapweed and ox eye daisy. An annual meadow might consist of corn cockle, cornflower, corn marigold and poppies.

If you go for the seed option then the best time to sow is in the autumn. They can be a little reluctant to germinate, but scatter in later in the year offers them up to the winter frosts, which some of them need for germination. Alternatively, if you do want to sow the seeds in spring you can keep the packets, or trays of sown seeds in the refrigerator for several weeks before planting, simulating the natural freezing period.

Time is the best creator of the meadow garden, but once it is away, there is very little work that needs to be done to it. It will simply need a mow (very high blades) at the start of autumn. Do not rake up the cut flower heads and grassy stems until the following spring, though, as this allows any seeds to fall to the ground and set, and it also provides valuable habitats for an abundance of wildlife.

THE RHS Harlow Carr gardens in Harrogate have a weekend of wildlife fun for all ages. Between 10am and 4pm there are quizzes, trails, mini beast hunts and wildlife related happenings.

For further information, visit www.rhs.org.uk/harlowcarr.

SPRINGWATCH has been launched on the BBC channels, which means that some place in our area will receive a wildlife makeover. This year, on Saturday June 7, Marshall Drive playing field in Brotton will be visited by a SWAT (spring watch action team) team, who will be ably assisted by the Wildflower Ark, Tees Valley Wildlife Trust and St Peter's School. They're attempting to transform the playing field into a haven for wildlife.

They will plant up a wildflower meadow, erect bird boxes and create a woodland.

More information on www.bbc.co.uk/ tees.

* Brigid presents the BBC Tees Gardening show every Sunday from 1- 2pm. Questions can be answered on the day by emailing brigidpress@bbc.co.uk anytime during the week, or texting 07786-200995 and phoning 01642- 225511 during the show.

Written queries can be addressed to Brigid at East Durham & Houghall College, Houghall, Durham, DH1 3SG.

JOBS THIS WEEK

* Prune early flowering shrubs such as kerria, weigela, ceanothus, forsythia and flowering currant. This will give them sufficient time in which to build up enough flowering growth for next year, but also keep them trim and tidy.

* To cool the greenhouse coat the glass with shading paint (Coolglass, for example). This will either be worn away by rains by winter time, or can be washed off quite easily if needs be.

* Pinch out the tips of broad beans in order to deter an invasion of blackfly.

Don't throw the trimmings away, though, as the young leaves make for a tasty addition to salads.