Bulbs and Wild Flowers

In previous years, over 300,000 bulbs have been planted throughout the Gardens, varieties include Narcissi, Scilla, Lilies, Anenome, Muscari, Allium, Chinodoxia, Fritilleria, Crocus and Cyclamen. There are also newly created wildflower lawns in the fruit garden, utilising locally collected seed.

However, early in 2008 the gardens team produced 31,479 wild flower plugs to be planted in the wild flower swards in the gardens and the arboretum. Most of these were sown in the middle of 2008 by the gardeners and volunteers and will be in abundance throughout April/May 2010. In the meantime you can still enjoy the existing flowery swards throughout the gardens.

The varieties which were sown and pricked out were:

Primula vulgaris - Primrose
Primula veris - Cowslip
Gallium vernum - Lady’s Bedstraw
Trifolium pratense - Wild Red Clover
Pilosella aurantiaca - Fox and Cubs
Lotus corniculatus - Bird’s Foot Trefoil
Origanum vulgare - Wild Marjoram
Prunella vulgaris - Selfheal
Silene dioica - Red Campion
Lychnis flos cuculi - Ragged Robin
Scabiosa columbaria - Small Scabious