Native plants and garden centres
When I first acquired a garden I was so excited to welcome wildlife near my home. I envisaged creating a small micro-ecosystem that reflected the natural habitats of the UK, welcoming birds, insects and plants. I wanted to wake up to the sound of birdsong and watch butterflies flutter past the window.
In order to promote as much wildlife as possible, I decided I would mostly plant native plants. I remember assuming it would be easy to do this. I recall travelling to local garden centres with palpable anticipation. But with each visit, I felt more and more disappointed every time I left. Where were the native Foxgloves, Self-heals and Oxeye daisies? Where was the native Dogwood, Spindle and Blackthorn?
I kept thinking I was just missing the relevant section in the shop but I soon came to realise that most of the plants were either non-native or a cultivar of a native plant, selectively bred versions of what was once a part of our local wildlife. I soon came came to the conclusion that the traditional notion of “gardening” was somewhat separate from native wildlife.
I do understand the attraction to non-native plants in a garden, and I appreciate that a mix of native and non-native plants can support a healthy biodiverse ecosystem, but I think that tipping the balance more in favour of native or naturalised plants would benefit wildlife. and in order to do this, members of the public need to be able to easily buy native plants.
How can it be that despite such a variety of interesting native plants in Britain, most garden centres sell almost exclusively non-native or cultivated plants? Especially when non-native plants usually require extra upkeep due to the fact they have not evolved within the ecological niches of this environment? Perhaps this is due to our heritage. Perhaps in the Victorian era, non-native plants seemed exotic and exciting and people wanted a taste of other countries in their garden, not to mention plants were associated with status.
Fast forward to current times however, when we are faced with unprecedented declines in many of our species, should we be changing our attitudes? There may have been a time when we were surrounded by plenty of native flora and our gardens were little patches of the exotic, beautifully different from the surrounding landscape. But now it has flipped, our surrounding landscape is lacking in flora, and so our gardens are acting as reservoirs or belts for wildlife.
After doing my own research, I realised there is a community in gardening who felt the same way as I did, the community practise a method called
Wildlife Gardening
I believe the main ethos behind Wildlife Gardening (https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/gardening) is to plant wildlife friendly plants in a garden. Not necessarily all native, but at least a good selection of plants that promote biodiversity.
I enjoy wildlife gardening, not only because it promotes biodiversity, but because I get to observe beautiful native plants that would require a lot of searching to see in the wild.
For example the purple flower; Corncockle. When the flower first bloomed in my garden following the sowing of wildflower seed, I had no idea what it was because I had never seen it in the wild. I felt a sense of excitement when I realised I had a native plant growing in my garden that is actually quite tricky to find due to it’s recent decline. And of course, it’s stunning.
Luckily, living in Bristol , there are several places that do provide a wonderful selection of native and wildlife-friendly plants for sale. It took some time for me to find these places, so I thought it might help other aspiring wildlife gardeners if I listed them here. There may be more, but these are the places I have found and used (I get no benefit from mentioning these places, I just have used them all, and think their mission statements are awesome). If you aren’t based in Bristol, I believe all these places also do deliveries, or perhaps you could look for similar places local to you? In no particular order we have:
Meadowmania
I have only recently discovered Meadowmania (https://meadowmania.co.uk/), they are a Bristol-based, family-run business that supply wildflower seeds and more recently, small potted plants. They sell seeds and plants online. It is possible to buy a pack of native wildflower seeds (mixed or single species) for less than a cup of coffee. I have bought a large selection of their single species native seeds, including Foxgloves, Lesser Knapweed, Corncockle, and Red Campion. I can’t wait to grow them this season.
PlantWild
PlantWild (https://plantwild.co.uk/), is a nursery located in the Somerset countryside. If you don’t fancy travelling they also do deliveries. In addition to wild flowers they also sell a good selection of shrubs/trees. I’ve bought Spindle and Alder Buckthorn from there, as well as flowers including Lesser Celandine, Red clover and Birdsfoot Trefoil. All the plants have settled nicely into my garden.
GrowWilder
Run by Avon Wildlife Trust and based in Bristol, GrowWilder (https://www.growwilder.co.uk/) sells a large selection of native plants and seeds, as well as having a cafe that sells delicious coffee and cakes! They have an excellent example of a wildlife garden, a walk around which will fill you with inspiration. I remember seeing Yellow Rattle for the first time at GrowWilder! Strolling around their site and chatting with the friendly staff will provide you with a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. My garden contains Wild Strawberry, Self-heal and Fox Gloves, all from GrowWilder.
I would like to think that soon, more mainstream garden centres will join the aforementioned places and start to stock a diverse range of native and wildlife-friendly plants, alongside the more traditional cultivars.
Perhaps there could be informational posters outlining the social history attached to each of these plants to give us a sense of connection to them.
Perhaps they could describe how the plants fit into our local ecosystems. Whether they are good for bees, attract birds, provide food for butterflies etc.
I hope one day all this will become a reality 🤞
I hope you enjoyed this article, perhaps it has inspired you to try a bit of wildlife gardening 🌱 and/or to checkout the places mentioned.
Best,
Robbie
