Flowers for pollinators πΈ What we're up to on the farm!
|
It's been a warm dry month and growth is really accelerating. Suddenly the trees are fully in leaf and the hedgerows are dripping in wildflowers. We were very grateful for the rainfall we had last weekend, our soil and plants very much needed it and it's taken the pressure off us having to irrigate...for a few days π Everything is happening all at once and needs our attention. There's a long queue of plants waiting to go in the ground and a momentum to keep up with the weeds. The first sweet peas are flowering and the tomatoes and beans are stretching towards the light with urgency and purpose. This week we're planting: Asters, Squash, Outdoor Tomatoes and Chillies, Amaranth, Rosemary (for our beetle banks) We're sowing: Purple Sprouting Broccoli (Cardinal, Rudolph), Kalettes We're pruning: Sideshooting and winding on tomatoes We're weeding: Everything! We're building: Plant supports for everything going to seed in the polytunnel and skinning our cat tunnel For a full list of things you can sow this month click on the link below:
With pollinators on the decline itβs more important than ever to create pollination havens in your garden. By planting flowers to encourage butterflies, moths, flies, bees and hoverflies youβll also see the benefits, not only in your joy at watching them flit from flower to flower but in the increased pollination success of each flower and the seeds you can save as a result! Thereβs a few things to consider:- Pick flowers with different month flowering windows so that you have pollen and nectar throughout the flowering season - Choose varieties with a variety of flower shapes to encourage a diverse range of pollinators each have a food source - often flowers with simple structures (think cottage garden flowers like Cosmos) are the best options for the largest range of pollinators. Some types of bumblee and butterfly may show a preference for tubular flowers like snapdragons whereas Hoverflies may prefer wider open flowers with pollen that is more easily accessible - Make sure to include herbs in your plantings as they are highly attractive to insects - Include flowers that are highly scented at night to attract moths like Nicotiana - Try to place each plant in groups so that the colours and scents are easy for the pollinators to detect. Here are some of our top varieties for pollinators:βNicotiana βSnapdragonβ βCosmos β βEchinacea β βFrench Marigold (Tagetes) β βMarshmallow βVerbena βSunflower β βChives β βHyssop β βYarrowβ βZinniaβ Calling all raptors!β We've attached it to the top of our steel container for maximum height and security and installed an east-west perch (recommended to maximize raptor's visibility and hunting opportunities) and a north-south perch to allow a clear line of sight in between our polytunnels. We're welcoming raptors to hunt here to help drive up the predator-prey pressure on rodents. If you didn't know it already, rodents love seeds! We also want to encourage a larger diversity of bird species to this land by creating more opportunities for hunting. A win-win for all. Are you doing anything to encourage wildlife into your garden? Get in touch and let us know! β Chloe and the rest of the team P.S. If your last frost date has now passed it's the perfect time to direct sow french beans, sweetcorn and squash outside! |
Vital Seeds Ltd
Last chance to grab your 'Second Spring' seed collection! If you've been on the fence about getting one of our 'Second Spring' seed collections, now is your last chance. They've been flying off the shelves and we only have a limited number left. After 9am on Monday 18 August they'll no longer be available as it'll be getting too late in the season to sow some of the varieties. Why not keep your harvests going all autumn and winter? The 'Second Spring' collection includes 10 of our top...
Long summer days means one thing - rows of gleaming red jewels ripening on towering leafy vines...the most versatile of our summer crops, the glorious tomato. Tomatoes are one of the most rewarding crops to grow at home, unprecedented in their variety, flavour and uses compared to what you can find in the supermarkets. After weeks of tending, nuturing and pruning, the tomato harvest is one of our most anticipated of the year. Why not have a go at saving your own tomato seeds this season? Read...
As we near towards August, the festival of Lammas is almost upon us. Lammas celebrates the abundance of the harvest. As our harvest trugs begin to feel heavy and our heads are dizzy with ideas on how to preserve the gluts and glory of summer, it's a wonderful reminder of the resiliency and richness that the natural world has to offer. The field here at Vital Seeds is looking full and abundant with blooms bursting into colour in every direction and seed heads forming and ripening. We've begun...