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In most mixtures you will find the following: Annuals, biennials and Perennials.
Annual species: Corn Poppy, Field Poppy, Annual Mayweed, Corncockle, Corn Marigold, Corn Chamomile and Redshank. Annuals act as a nurse crop and provide
a riot of first year colour.
Biennial species: Foxglove, Parsnip, Meddick, Mullein, and Wild Carrot flower within 12 months from sowing and while acting as a nurse they also improve
the soil.
Both annuals and biennials will not reappear each year unless the conditions encourage them. Eyebright, Yellow Rattle, Bartsia & Loosewort should persist, as they are annuals adopted to surviving amounts perennial
species and grasses.
Perennial species:
Every mixture also has a base mixture of perennial species which will flower for many years. Perennials are divided into two categories,
Short lived perennials. Oxeye daisy, Red Clover and Sorrel have short life cycles and require regular gap creation to re-encourage them. (Click
here to see more about gap creation).
Long lived perennials: Bluebell, Cowslip, Field Scabious, Meadowsweet, Hypericum and many more are long lived and will persist for years provided that the meadow is cut every year
or according to the advice provided. |
