Wild flower Specification Manual By Grahame Dixie and Matthew Swift

Role: Greater Knapweed is a very attractive summer flower and will flourish in un-managed grass land and because of its height can persist in quite fertile conditions. If management is applied this need only comprise a cut in the autumn. The plant can be eliminated by regular cutting. The flower can have a role at the back of the herbaceous border and in summer flowering meadows. Greater Knapweed is attractive to bees and butterflies and is the preferred nectar source for a number of butterflies including Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Silver Spotted Skipper, Brimestone, Chalkhill Blue, Common Blue, Painted Lady, Peacock, Common Silver-washed Fritillary, Grayling, Meadow Brown and Ringlet.

Role: Greater Stitchwort is a brilliant intermingler with other plants and is a vital flower of hedgerows and can clamber over tall grassland and can be planted in a wildflower herbaceous border. It requires limited maintenance with only cutting back to restrict its spread.

Role: Ground Ivy is best introduced into hedgerows, shaded roadsides, into woodland, and will rapidly colonise bare earth under dappled shade by means of long creeping stems. The plant provides much needed colour in early spring and has an attractive mint scent. It adds colour to woodlands and is extremely hardy once established

Role: The Green Winged Orchid is the classic orchid of old, undisturbed, species-rich, neutral, short grassland with one of the most beautiful flowers.. Maintenance should comprise a hay cut in late July, after seed set and the to have the aftermath grazed by cattle or sheep until the end of the growing season. Alternatively the grass can be cut again in the autumn.

Role: Harebells are an extremely attractive flower of low, infertile and mainly alkaline grassland. They can also be planted into screes, rockeries and into terracotta pots. The grass needs to be maintained by cutting, generally with a spring and or autumn cut. Without management the plant will rapidly disappear from unmanaged and fertile sites. Harebells are an important nectar source for butterflies.

Role: In an important plant in acid grasslands and in a range of rocky habitats. Heath Bedstraw can become submerged beneath grass unless the site is grazed, or managed with a cut either in the spring or autumn.

Role: Many low land heaths have been destroyed but the species is regaining habitats on acidic roadsides and on types of spoil. Heather can be the only colonist of soils contaminated by heavy metals. In the garden given well drained, infertile acidic soils heather lawns can be created. These are lightly mown, or cut back in the autumn to prevent the plants becoming too leggy. Heathers can only colonise bare earth and a suitable grass nurse crop of non-invasive grasses (e.g. Common & Highland Bent, Sheep’s Fescue, Wavy Hair grass, Crested Dogtail and Sweet Vernal grass) can be sown to give the young seedlings shelter, prevent erosion and reduce damage from neddle ice. Heathers can be introduced by spreading top soil or heather litter from a heather site, spreading forage harvested heather shoots or planting seedlings. Heather usually grows in large clumps and dominates the site. Management can comprise light grazing, an occasional forage cut in the autumn, controlled burns to rejuvenate old plants (i.e. over 15 years old) by encouraging new growth from the centre. Like all heather’s the flowers attract honey bees and butterflies and is a valuable food source from grouse. Heather is a larval host plant and preferred nectar source for the Silver Studded Blue butterfly.

Role: Hedge Bedstraw does well in open woodland and some grassland, its height means its easily competes with the grass once established. Its an evergreen plant that does particularly well in hedges.