Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
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Managing a wildflower/poppy bed - can it look good all year round?
Hello fellow ninjas. I've got a wildflower and poppy area in my new garden. Should I deadhead the wildflowers or leave them all to set seed to grow next year? Some of them look like they're going over now. If I do remove some/all what can I plant in the gaps until Spring? ( I think I need to remove a lot of the poppy seed heads or I'll end up with only poppies!)
Managing a wildflower/poppy bed - can it look good all year round?
Hello fellow ninjas. I've got a wildflower and poppy area in my new garden. Should I deadhead the wildflowers or leave them all to set seed to grow next year? Some of them look like they're going over now. If I do remove some/all what can I plant in the gaps until Spring? ( I think I need to remove a lot of the poppy seed heads or I'll end up with only poppies!)
Inwouldnt deadhead wildflowers unless you want to stop them reproducing. Although poppies can sometimes takeover a full bed is better than an empty one. Everything finds its balance.
What you may need is a few more ‘supporting plants’ like a chorus line of long doers. Such as a few grasses or Crocosmia. Things that have foliage to fill the gaps and bridge the spaces. Even a few hardy Geraniums may help.
https://youtu.be/SeJaCgSfBrE
Keep up the excellent garden work Helen and hope the writing is prolific!
Inwouldnt deadhead wildflowers unless you want to stop them reproducing. Although poppies can sometimes takeover a full bed is better than an empty one. Everything finds its balance.
What you may need is a few more ‘supporting plants’ like a chorus line of long doers. Such as a few grasses or Crocosmia. Things that have foliage to fill the gaps and bridge the spaces. Even a few hardy Geraniums may help.
Thanks for the excellent video 🙏. Very useful to know you wouldn't deadhead wildflowers. I'll get some more grasses and look for some tall hardy geraniums.
(The view of the wildflowers from the pod is a wonderful distraction from the writing, though I could do with some regular heavy rain to get me out of the garden! 😁🥰🐝)
Can't wait to see your show garden at RHS Tatton.
Helen Parker-Drabble
Great advice, as always, Lee.
Thanks for the excellent video 🙏. Very useful to know you wouldn't deadhead wildflowers. I'll get some more grasses and look for some tall hardy geraniums.
(The view of the wildflowers from the pod is a wonderful distraction from the writing, though I could do with some regular heavy rain to get me out of the garden! 😁🥰🐝)
Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
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