Introducing the Wildflower Growing Kit from English Roses! A comprehensive kit containing everything you will need to plant and grow a beautiful basket of wildflowers! Containing a tin of seedballs for easy and hassle-free planting, you can choose your favourite tin to create a colourful and wildlife friendly corner of the garden. We have 5 different mixes available; Bee Friendly, Beetle Friendly, Butterfly Friendly, or an Artists Meadow splash of colour. Alternatively, choose the Garden Herb Mix to create a grow-your-own herb basket, perfect for fresh ingredients as well as enhancing the garden!
Wildflowers and herbs make ideal companion plants for your roses, attracting pollinators and protecting against aphids and other predators. The sturdy basket is perfect for placing on patios and decking, or for creating a wildflower patch that can be moved as required. The organic coir blocks and premium slow release feed have been perfectly portioned so you have the correct amount with no wastage. With minimal maintenance required, a beautiful blooming basket will soon be yours!
Our easy-to-use planting kit contains everything you need to grow a beautiful basket of native wildflowers! Perfect for adding colour and attracting wildlife to your garden.
How to Plant Your Wildflower Basket: #
You will need:
- Your wildflower growing kit
- A large bucket
- 4.5L water
- Place the coir blocks into a large bucket. The blocks will need room to expand into approximately 14L of compost.
2. Add 4.5 litres of water and leave to soak for 24 hours. This will let the moisture even out. Tip: Warm water helps to speed up the process.
3. Mix the feed sachet into the compost and break up any large coir chunks. Add the compost into the willow basket and lightly firm.
4. Place 3 – 5 seed balls on top of the soil (do not cover). Leave around 10cm between each ball. Each ball contains up to 30 seeds!
5. Leave the basket in a sunny position. Water regularly or leave it to be watered naturally by the rain.
6. The seed balls will germinate and sprout above the surface.
Simply wait for the flowers to appear! Different varieties will flower at different times for you to enjoy.
What are the benefits of planting wildflowers? #
Native wildflowers provide a wealth of benefits to the garden, from attracting and supporting wildlife, to helping improve soil health and water retention; creating a thriving ecosystem both above and below the soil. They also make ideal companion plants for your roses, attracting predators of aphids and other garden pests. Not to mention that they are beautiful too, providing a bright splash of colour when other garden flowers may be out of season.
Minimal maintenance is required; wildflowers flourish best when left to their own devices. Even in the autumn and winter when they are not in flower, your wildflower basket will continue to provide and important habitat and food source for local wildlife.
What are seed balls? #
The seed balls contain a blend of native wildflower seeds, protected in a ball of clay, chilli powder and peat-free compost. They are a wonderful alternative to traditional seeds, as they are easier to use and grow. The seeds contain protection from predators, giving your wildflowers the best chance to establish and thrive!
You can view our selection of Seedball wildflower mixes here!
What wildflower baskets can I grow? #
Each tin of seedballs has a different blend of wildflower varieties. Choose your favourite or get them all and mix them up for a colourful and varied wildflower meadow!
Bee Friendly Mix – Contains varieties recommended by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. A blend of perennials and biennials (Birdsfoot Trefoil, Foxglove, Red Clover, Viper’s Bugloss, Wild Marjoram) with a sprinkling of pollinator-friendly annuals (Corn Chamomile, Corn Marigold, Cornflower, Night-Flowering Catchfly)
Butterfly Friendly Mix – Contains varieties recommended by Butterfly Coservation. A blend of perennials and biennials (Purple Loosestrife, Forget-me-not, Musk Mallow, Red Campion and Yarrow) with a sprinkling of pollinator-friendly annuals (Chamomile, Cornflower, Corn Marigold, and Night-Flowering Catchfly)
Beetle Friendly Mix – Perfect for enticing ladybirds and other beetles to your garden. A blend of (Common Knapweed, Cow Parsley, Cornflower, Field Scabius, Foxglove, Great Burnet and Yarrow).
Artists Meadow Mix – A colourful mix inspired by artist Yvonne Coomber and her beautiful painting “Here Is where All The Wildflowers Grow”. Contains hardy annuals and perennials (Common Poppy, Oxeye Daisy, Musk Mallow, Corn Marigold, Purple Field Scabious, Red Campion, White Cow Parsley)
Garden Herb Mix – Perfect for pick and come again source of fresh ingredients, and also beneficial to pollinators and other wildlife. A versatile and quick growing mix of native herbs (Basil, Chives, Parsley, Marjoram and Dill).
Caution: The Bee Friendly and Beetle Friendly mixes contain Foxglove, which is toxic if ingested.
See our full range of seedballs, including different sizes, here!
When is the best time to plant seed balls? #
You can plant seed balls at any time of the year. However, for best results, we recommend planting them in the spring or autumn. These seasonal conditions are ideal for germination and allows more time for flowers to establish.
Wildflowers will grow in abundance the longer they are established. You can look forward to a garden filled with colour and life every year! You do not have to do anything once they are planted. Even in the autumn and winter when they are not in flower, your wildflower basket will continue to provide an important habitat and food source for local wildlife.
How do Seedballs work? #
Seedballs are incredibly easy to use – no digging required! Autumn or early spring are the ideal times to lay your wildflower basket. Simply scatter onto the compost, leaving at least 10cm between each ball. Keep well watered, and the seeds will soon start to germinate – it’s that easy! New shoots can be seen in 2-6 weeks, but each type of wildflower will take a different amount of time to come into flower.
Each seedball contains 10-30 seeds depending on the mix, and are ideal for creating wildflower baskets. The outer clay protects the seedball from being eaten by birds and insects, while the chilli powder deters slugs and snails from eating the young shoots. The peat-free compost provides nutrients as the seeds start to germinate, and slowly the materials in the ball will be naturally disperse, leaving a patch of young plants.
Top Tips For Growing Your Wildflower Basket #
- Autumn and early Spring are the best times of year for scattering your wildflower seedballs.
- Seedballs require water to start growing – if it’s been fairly dry you can give them a drenching every day to supplement rainfall.
- Many seeds need a spell of cold weather to trigger the germination process. If scattering in late Spring or Summer, store the seedballs in the fridge for a few weeks prior to scattering.
- Seedballs should be left intact, not broken up.
- Avoid touching seedballs once they have been watered, as this could cause damage to any new growth inside.
- Wildflower growth can be slow, so patience is key. Different varieties will grow and flower at different rates. As the wildflowers establish, you should see year-on-year improvement with minimal maintenance.
- Young wildflower growth can be easily mistaken for weeds, so be careful whilst weeding and ensure you are selective about what you remove!
- Sit back and watch the wildlife arrive.
I have Seedballs left over from my Wildflower Growing Kit! #
This is to be expected! Your tin contains 20 seedballs and your basket will only need approx 5 to cover the area. Some seeds may not germinate so this way you have spares if you want to add more to your basket. Seedballs also have a long shelf life, so you can keep them safe until you decide where to use the extras. Plant them in beds and borders alongside your other plants, or make a collection of wildflower baskets with the other sizes we have available!
Precautions #
The Bee Friendly and Beetle Friendly mixes contains Foxglove which is toxic if ingested.
Seedballs, coir bricks, and slow release feed are not for consumption. Keep away from children and pets. Store in a cool, dry place.
Where to Buy Our Wildflower Growing Kit #
Wildflower Growing Kit – English Roses Planting Basket
Exclusive to English Roses.
Perfect as a gift or even a treat for yourself!
