We
planted our meadow garden on Midsummer' eve (June 20th ) - a magical
fairy time. But you could plant this garden up anytime from early
Spring (March) through to mid summer or from September - early October
to give the plants a head start for the following year. This garden
will look its best from mid June through to late August. If you
plant cowslips however look out for them in April.
1.
Setting up
Choose the right spot for your Meadow Flower Fairy garden -as sunny
as possible. Try to make sure the earth has not had lots of compost
or fertilizers put on it recently (for instance an old vegetable patch
or rose bed). Meadow flowers like poor soils - not dark rich ones.
For containers or window boxes
Remember never to use compost with peat in it, as this is taken from
wild bogs that are home for lots of small creatures. We think the
fairies would be upset about this - especially the Irish ones. Use
soil from the garden or a soil based compost - ask at your local garden
centre. Also make sure you don't buy wooden boxes made of wood from
really old forests. To be safe use wood with the FSC (Forest Stewardship
Council) stamp on it - or use something else like clay or an old recycled
plastic pot.
2.
Build a Fairy House
Why not make a house for visiting fairies? . We have made ours from
small sticks before we added the plants and then covered it with grasses.
Make your house as big or little as you like- you could use all sorts
of materials from egg boxes to old pots.
3.
Add
your plants
Dig
holes big enough for each plant and give them enough space as they
will all get bigger. It is a good idea to put taller plants at the
back so that they don't hide the little ones.
In
our garden we have planted:
Musk Mallow -
Very tall plants ( over 1m) with big pink flowers with a slight musky
smell.
Meadow buttercup - (also known as King Cup or Fairies Basins).
Tall ( up to 1m) plants with single bright yellow bowl shaped flowers
Knapweed - ( also known as Hardheads) Tall purple thistle-
like fluffy flowers
Oxeye Daisy - (also known as Moon Daisy, Gypsy Daisy, Solstice
Daisy), Tall plants with lots of long white petals around a bright
yellow centre. Very popular with flying insects.
Field Scabious - ( also known as Gypsy Rose or Pincushion)
Medium sized plants with lovely lilac coloured plate shaped flowers
with lots of tiny petals. Very popular with beetles and moths.
Yarrow - (also known as Angel Flower ) Traditionally there
are lots of links between Yarrow and old magic and it was once known
as an Elf herb. Druids used it to predict the weather. There are also
many stories of it being a love a charm - but we don't recommend you
eat it. Medium height plants with large white plate like flowers made
up of lots of tiny petals . Has very pretty dark green fern-like leaves.
Very popular with butterflies and other insects.
Meadow Cranesbill - Small - Medium height plant with lovely
big blue / lilac petals. Attractive to bees.
Harebells - (also known as Fairy Bells/ Cups/ Caps/Ringers
or Thimbles. There is much in folklore connecting these lovely flowers
with fairies and magic. Hares -the animal - also have a strong history
of being magical). Medium height delicate stems bearing pale mauve/
blue bell shaped flowers - our favourites!
Heartease - (also known as Kiss me over the Garden Gate or
Love in Idleness) Small plants with 5 petal flowers - 2 purple 2 lilac
/ white and 1 yellow. Popular with bees and butterflies.
Other meadow wildflowers you could plant:
Lady's Bedstraw - medium size plants with lots of tiny bright
yellow flowers - popular with moth caterpillars
Sheep's Sorrel - small plants with lots tiny orange / brown flowers
- good seeds for finches
St John's Wort - medium sized plants with yellow orange star shaped
flowers- it is said that stepping on such plants would cause a fairy
horse to rise up and take a mortal on a wild ride !
Bladder Campion - medium sized plants with small white flowers-
popular with moths and bees
Kidney Vetch - medium sized plants with yellow folded looking
flowers and attractive blue green leaves.
Red Clover - small 3 leaved plants with globe shaped pink /
red flowers- loved by bees.
These meadow flowers are usually surrounded by grasses too. These
are more difficult to buy as plants but you could add special meadow
grass seeds available from good garden centres or try Landlife (link
) or the Wildflower Centre (link) . NEVER add lawn grass seed as these
types of grasses will eventually choke out the meadow wildflowers.
4.Water
Well
It
is very important to water your new plants very well as soon as they
have been planted as this gives them a really good start in their
new home. Make sure your meadow garden does not completely dry out
for long times especially if you are growing this in a container or
pot. Check at least once a week.
5.
Add your decorations
We have made lots of silver bells on sticks and made a glittery table
and seats from yoghurt pots. Add whatever you like to yours. Try using
recycled materials wherever you can as it is free and saves wasting
materials you might otherwise throw away. We made a special fairy
cake just in case any small visitors get hungry.
6.
Keep looking out for those fairies!
Keep looking out for those fairies!
7.
Cut your meadow.
It
is very important that in September you trim your meadow with shears
(or scissors) to keep the grass short and remove the cuttings- put
them on the compost heap or maybe save some seeds by carefully putting
the plant tops in brown paper bags and keeping somewhere dry.
