The lavender field at Chilcott was created in a regular field which used to be grazed by sheep. When we harvest the lavender we do leave some rows uncut for the bees. This year we decided to give the bees another area to feed on & a wider choice.
We created a wildflower area using seeds purchased from Wild Wales seeds. We rotavated an area, breaking up the ground, tearing up the grass & removing stones. The area was Stoney which is good for drainage, as lavender, in particular, doesn’t like getting its roots sodden. We raked over the soil to level it.
We then mixed the seeds purchased from Wild Wales seeds with sand, before scattering over the area. We pressed the seeds by lightly walking over them, so contact was made with the soil before some light watering.
The month of May was hot & so the bed did require watering every few days.
After 3 weeks seedlings began to appear - the cornflowers were first. By June, the area had certainly greened up & we were beginning to see pops of blue from the cornflowers.
Now in July the ox-eye daisies, corn marigolds & poppies have created a splash of colour in the
field & an additional source of food for the bees & butterflies.
