Making a Wildflower Meadow

Good book with good ideas for a large meadow area.However, we wanted to put a small area (16 sq m) to meadow and the ideas weren't much use for that.Forwarned is forearmed.Could be perfect for the right garden.

I feel this is a rather angry book. The author's ire is directed towards nettles, hogweed, farmers, and modern life. This is not remotely in line with the relaxed approach to weeds and pests that wildlife gardening normally entails. The author also keeps talking about the importance of local seeds and plants without ever giving any scientific reason for this. Indeed, Kate Bradbury's book on wildlife gardening (an excellent book) discusses scientific trials showing that foreign species of plants are only marginally worse for wildlife, so I can't understand why anyone should be made feel guilty for ordering seeds of native species from abroad. This book seems more driven by the romance of 'the good old days' than for any scientific joy of the natural world. I was particularly put off by the fact that shooting moles is ok in a book I thought was supposed to be about preservation of the natural world. Finally, I didn't enjoy the style of writing, which was more like a memoir than a text book about creating and maintaining meadows. Disappointed.

What a great book, if you want to make or design a wildflower meadow I n your garden or plot. The benefits to wildlife is great. I have superb variety of butterflies and moths. Cultivated hover flays and ladybirds when there none. Hedgehogs love it too. Did I mention the birds and I could need 8 varieties of bumblebees in the first year.The advice is sound and advises on buildings ng a meadow suited to the surrounding area.I have two meadows and a pond. One meadow near the small copse/woodland that forms part of my garden.. I am just lucky to have such a plot, but the book will be a great aid for smaller meadows and wildflower planting.

This book is both a good read and useful reference book. I am working to create a wildflower meadow and refer to it regularly. By discussing her various projects and their unique challenges in separate chapters, the author focuses on different problem areas / successes and how she dealt with them. I find that I regularly pick up this book to see how she dealt with x or y scenario. Well worth every penny. On another level, it is not too technical and is a pleasure to read.

These wild flower meadows are amazing and easy to do. I sowed a lot of wild flowers and the colours just exploded with insects bees, wasps, butterflies and many other insects it also brings colour to your waste ground I would say if you have a little bit of waste grown sow wild flowers and be amazed of all the insect life ideal for families, schools, colleges, conservationists, youth groups etc.

I bought this book a few months ago. We are moving to a new home with lots more land, and we would very much like to create a wildflower area. This book has all the information we need to get this project underway. I would reccommend it to anyone who is thinking of 'doing their bit' to conserve our native flowers and insects, no matter how large or small an area you have available.

Really like this book, have read it through, it is a book that holds interest and will be read many times over.

Lovely book full of good and useful tips. Enough to fuel or ignite a passion for wild flower meadows.