Wildflowers.ie

DBN has employed in the mid 1990's to design and supply a specialist wildflower seed mixture for the roof garden at the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre, the landscape design was carried out for Landscape Architect Mrs. Barbara O'Neill. 

The construction of the sod roof, or 'green roof garden' at  Dunboyne was completed in the mid 1990's. 

Problems arose from the start, the low nutrient weed free soil that was specified, was replaced, with weed ridden rich top soil and the seed was sown with out any pre sowing treatment to control the weeds. Further into the project the building required new ventilation for a cafe, and soil was moved on the roof and replaced with different soil containing more invasive weeds.

During the 1990's, the meadow hardly got a chance, and certainly no maintenance, however wildflowers appeared from the start.  As time passes, the fertile topsoil is becoming depleted and the rampant weeds are finding it difficult to sustain life on the roof, more tender wildflowers are getting a chance to grow and set seed, these are slowly spreading.

14 species recorded in 2000, it is doing well, all things considering! 

Cowslip, Yarrow, Century, Sedum, Plantain, Bush and Kidney Vetch, Meadow Vetchling and Ox-eye have all appeared since planting.

27/03/03, My last site visit was March 2003, a bit early to see what is growing, but I still managed to identify about 14 species, including, Red Clover, Hypericum, Burdock (not supplied), Purple Toadflax, Lesser Knapweed, Selfheal and Hawksbit Sp..

Mr. John Mc Geown is now appointed head gardener and we hope there will be a changes for the better, new wildflower planting was carried out about the visitors centre car park and restaurant in 2003, and we will keep an eye on th roof garden.