miniature English summer meadow ( kitchen sink)

[Riz]

I love meadows, espically the English meadow reminds me of my childhood, every time i see a meadow it brings a huge smile to my face, i use to walk to high school in the mornings and see them on my way to school, morning dew hanging of the leaves and butterflies everywhere..

so last season i bought a pack of summer meadow seeds from nickeys nursery online..

i found a kitchen sink in the back of my garden behind the blackcurrant bush when i first moved into this house back in mid 1990`s. last season i grew some radish inside the sink....

The sink is so heavy, i think its made out of lead and covered with porcelain or something..

when i first dragged the sink from the bushes i looked underneath the sink and saw some graffiti on the back of the sink

wow so old well before world war 2 ( 23/4/34) 23rd April 1934 i wonder who F.K was !! the numbers and the letters are carved into the sink,, the blackness is just the dirt :)

[Riz]

pics of the front of the sink

[Riz]

i had a small pack of wildflower from the past and the bag of wild flower mixture ( silver foil bag) which i bought

the silver bag contains 50 grammes of wild flower seeds, so obviously ill be just sowing a handful of them mixed with the other pack...

[Riz]

so i filled the kitchen sink with compost and soil mix, made sure i filled all the corners with soil and not left any air pockets..

the hole in the sink is in the corner which i filled with a few tiny pebbles first... i scattered the seeds lightly across the soil and then sprinkled 1/2inch of top soil over the top and watered in well......

i didn't want the birds to feast on the seeds so i left some old branches on top of the sink, hopefully that will stop them eating the seeds.. ( that's the plan anyway)

as soon as i see the seeds sprouting ill move the branches off :)

i let ya know whats happening as soon as i see some changes....

[Riz]

A description of the seeds



The Main 15 wildflower Species WFM 21042
Annuals Biennials and Perennials
Weight Approx 2 grammes
Sow 1-2g per square yard
1st year flowering some species from Summer to Autumn
Following years different species from Spring to Autumn
A general purpose seed mixture of colourful annual, biennial and mainly perennial wild flowers of mixed height and flowering periods, Some species are of value as sources of food for butterflies, bees and other insects.
For the garden it can be used to establish an ornamental flowering area without grass. Alternatively it may be sown with suitable grasses to create a grass and wild flower area if applied at a rate of 1-2g with 2g of 'Low Maintenance' amenity grass seed mixture.
On the farm it can be used with a suitable low maintenance amenity grass seed mixture to create an area of attractive flowering grassland on odd corners of the farm.
Species include :-
Lady's Bedstraw, Birds-foot-trefoil, meadow buttercup, wild carrot, cowslip, oxeye daisy, dandelion, black medic, pignut, hoary and ribwort plantain, field scabious, selfheal, common and kidney vetch, yarrow. Culture :-
Best sown early March to late may or from 1st September to early October.
Select a weed free site, DO NOT use Fertiliser
Clear the ground of both annual and perennial weeds, especially docks, nettles and thistles. Cultivate the soil to produce a fine tilth, roll to firm.
Mix seed with 9 parts dry sand and broadcast evenly
Lightly rake the seed in and roll to ensure the seed comes into contact with the moisture in the soil, gently water the seed bed.
If used with a grass seed mixture , during the first year after sowing grass should be cut every 11/2-2 months to 5-10cm and the cuttings removed. In following years cut in October after all the flower seeds have shed remove the cuttings.

http://www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/seeds/pages/mixture.htm







if anyone can find a good pic of a English meadow, can you please post a pic.. i cant find any decent pics online today...

make sure you link it if you do....

[rainbox]

I've got one:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2018/2517102636_ebb96e3676.jpg?v=0
Thanks to gdaneuk (http://flickr.com/photos/9572034@N07/2517102636/) on flickr

[Kirsten]

Wow! That's amazing about the date!

[Riz]

we have activity in the sink.. lots and lots of various shapes and sizes of seedlings cracking though the soil...

cant wait for them to bloom :)

[Riz]

a better pic of the seedlings :)

[Tania]

They begin to grow :) I am curious too to see when they bloom. Like a flower carpet.

[Riz]

the meadow flowers seem to have a reddish look about them,, Hmmm

[Riz]

the meadow flowers are doing really well.. i just water it in the evenings and have not bothered with any nutrients.. :)

[~Obsidian~]

Tiny countryside in the sink :D

[Riz]

got a few meadow flowers that have bloomed :)

[Riz]

some meadow flowers opening up...

[farah]

Its so strange our neighbour has a sink like that as well but with just soil

Some species are of value as sources of food for butterflies, bees and other insects.

mash'Allah :GreenThumbs:

the red ones seem really tall, it said carrots in the seed description is that actual carrots or just a flower?

[Riz]

^ its a flower with a carrot sounding name :) some of the seeds will be dormant until next season though......

i just love English meadows :)

[Tania]

I thought they are poppeys ...after look :). I got 2 poppeys in the garden but may be they aren't..now i am not sure

[farah]

:pics: any updates on how its doing now?

[felicity]

I've a big packet of wild meadow flowers, I intend to sow them tomorrow, Inshallah; do these flowers "takeover" where ever they're planted? Is it a good idea to scatter them on a bed where I want them to grow?

[Riz]

yeah scatter them just like that in the bed.. some of the seeds will be perinnels too so they will flower in the second season :)

[felicity]

I still haven't decided on a spot to sow them, in the front garden or right at the back near the fence.