Wildflower Explosion 2022

I’ve put this under gardening… but I’m really talking about the wilder aspects… meadows, chemins, ditches, verges etc etc.

This year, I’ve noticed a glorious explosion of colours in these mostly untended areas.
Never seen this many wild orchids growing so thickly, in amongst the bluebells and the other flowers of every shape and colour…

Meadows are covered with buttercups… clover has huge red flowers…

I’m wondering … is it just because we are a no-chemicals area (which we’ve been for many years, so possibly not)…??
What’s the wildflower explosion like in your area… is it just a whimper or a loud boooom.

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we went to a local brocante at the weekend (held in the field opposite the school by the side of the village hall) and whilst walking round the field, noticed a couple of areas of grass that had not been cut. Further investigation revealed that they were clumps of wild orchid which the groundsman had gone round rather than just plough through it with the mower. Respect, or what… :slightly_smiling_face:

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Oh that’s marvellous.

The other day, I walked/puffed up the hill to take a photo of a garden/field around an ongoing newbuild second home.
We’d passed it previously, in the car… waved at the family and marvelled at the flowers.

so, camera poised… ready, willing and able…on I plodded …
Rude word, Rude word, Rude word…
The delightful family had left, gone back to the big city… somewhere.
But, presumably worried about the unkempt state of their garden/field… Dad seems to have run amok with the mower.
I could have wept and it’s obvious I must gently explain to him that here, in the countryside, we love to see nature on the rampage.

In the UK, our local Parish Chairman, a farmer of some local repute, went bananas with the local District Council when they cut the roadside verges in the village and wiped out a whole array of beautiful wild flowers :roll_eyes:
Bleedin hooligans, he was heard to say :angry:

Encourage your commune to practice a fauchage tardive, that will help.

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We do have 2 bee-keepers/honey-men in our commune so these wildflowers are (hopefully) helping are local bee population and other insects of course.

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We’ve been slack on mowing this year and yes amazing flowers. First time I’ve seen so many, I think Buttercups, but that is what DH said they were so not sure :rofl: . The ride on then threw a hissy fit before he’d finished our little field at the back and we are going to leave it and see what happens. I’m tempted to plant some random cosmos out there as well!

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Last year we relocated our compost heap to a less visible part of the garden to create a wild flower corner in the lovely rich soil. Once cleared I scattered cornflower, poppy and cosmos seeds and a mixture of seeds. I’ve since added more for this year. Photos are from last years efforts :slightly_smiling_face: :honeybee: :sunflower:
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Hopefully it will be a bumper season for wasps and hornets too! :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: :money_mouth_face: :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

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enough pests on here already Rob :laughing:

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Being slack on mowing is an excellent idea, especially at this time of year. We have loads of places where we haven’t yet mowed or strimmed and every other weed and tall piece of grass seems to have young ladybirds climbing to the top of the plant to warm in the sun. They are a godsend later in the year as their larvae are voracious eaters of aphids. Lots of ladybirds, never any need to spray.

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