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Some
basic standard general tips on planting wildflowers.
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The following brief guidelines are for planting wildflowers
in parks:
Our experience is that Irish County Councils and Park Departments,
Landscape Division (Planners and Designers) did not (in the past) sow wildflowers
in Irish Parks and Public Places due to inexperience throughout the design sector.
Sometimes flora did not
grow as the wrong or inappropriate species were used.
Other times the
Landscape Contractor did not sow them correctly nor were the meadows managed in
the early years.
Often where grass should have been short it was left
long and where meadows could have safely been allowed to grow they were
cut at the wrong time.
The perceived maintenance costs involved
further restricted the use of native flora.
In the final analysis we think
that the species used were unsuitable for Parks, We seek to change all that.
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We Recommend:
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We recommend planting low growing, fire resistant, locally occurring species with
additions of species found in the region.
Our species choice is designed to attract wildlife and
flower providing interesting colour.
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Site Survey
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park and public projects should include a site survey which DBN can carry out.
A site survey reveals the actual composition of flora, (unlike Impact assessments which use the county register of flora, and is not
necessarily site specific). To encourage native flora, the soils, plant
communities and natural succession are all surveyed along with wildlife
corridors. The resulting information provides information to make recommendations.
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The DBN experience
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DBN Experience. Because DBN grow and manage native flora we are familiar with each situation where native flora will grow, based on our site survey we make recommendations as to cost
effectively sow or encourage native flora. Often the site survey reveals floras or soils containing floras that can be protected and re-established.
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Species choice |
Species choice depends on many factors, the wild flora must;
Look good, be evergreen in winter,
flowers over a long period and be maintained not to attract litter, yet
attract wildlife.
Native floras used in parks should be tolerant of the stresses such as
trampling and not become a fire hazard. DBN has specially designed
mixtures EC10 Amenity grassland is a general parks mixture.
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All mixtures with or without
grasses |
Where the site survey reveals specific soil types, floras or micro climate suitable for the establishment of flora,
the next choice is to add grass seed or not.
Our general recommendation is to use 20%
grass - 80% Flora.
Where compaction and trampling are severe
use 50%- 50% grass -flora mixtures up too 80% grass where erosion will occur.
DBN has a range
of products suitable for every situation.
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Sowing rates |
Native wild flowers are normally sown at 1.5gms per
metre. High rates of 3gms per metre can be used in important areas or
where the soil is very poor.
Where ideal conditions prevail as for farmland, as low as 0.75gms can be sown. |
