Create a patchwork of colour through the summer months with a wildlife-friendly flower meadow that will provide a haven for butterflies, bugs and bees. The wildflower swirls at Forde Abbey are the perfect first step for inspiration in September, and Paul Jupp from Meadow in My Garden, will be on hand and giving talks in the meadow on both days over the weekend with invaluable tips, advice and know-how on how to create your very own corner of wildness.

The interlocking wildflower swirls at Forde Abbey are woven with a mix of over thirty different blooms, including cosmos and cornflowers, which provide pollen and nectar for butterflies and bees and a long lasting display with a succession of different flowers. It’s not a wild flower meadow as such, but a (relatively) easy way to re-create a version of wildness in your own garden.

A good starting point, if you want to do something similar, is to decide which space you want to fill and what its purpose is as that will help you choose whether to sow annual or perennial seeds. Annuals give you a more dramatic display, putting everything into the flower and seeds and not wasting anything on root development – generally good for cut flowers and displays with instant impact.

Perennial meadows are designed to create a longer lasting meadow. Diversity in flowers reduces with these types of ‘meadow’ and you won’t have such a range of flowering blooms. It comes back to the area in the garden you want to fill and for what purpose. Annuals will provide pollen and nectar for butterflies and bees but perennial ‘meadows’ will provide a longer lasting habitat. Bio diversity is at the heart of both types, and a combination of the two approaches often works, providing a diverse wildflower habitat.

Paul Jupp’s talks are free and on a first come first served basis, no need to book.