What’s missing?
I am at the stage with the wildlife plot where I can stand back and consider what we have and what is missing. Last year I realised that we didn’t have any floxgloves and so we have spent this spring planting a whole range both wild and cultivated. They’ll all end up as one pinky-mauve colour in the end but at least we should have some. The other thing I noticed that we are missing is umbellifers. We have Verbena bonariensis (I think this plant counts as one) but we need more.
I’ve looked through a range of books and come up with a list that will provide some of these flowers for as long as possible across the year.
| Ammi majus | white | June – August |
| Verbena bonariensis | purple | July – October |
| Giant fennel | yellow | July – October |
| Dill | yellow | June to August |
| Daucas carrota ‘Dora’ | purple | June – August |
| Angelica sylvestris | white | May – June |
| Seseli gummiferum | white | May – July |
| Valerian | white | July – August (Thanks for the suggestion Belinda.) |
This means umbellifer flowers from May to October, six months, with many pollinators enjoying these flowers. I have started sowing seeds and have Ammi majus that are large enough to go out and Daucus carrota on their way but still a bit small.
We have valerian, it self-seeds everywhere. The fragrance is delightful and bees/hover flies love it. Plus it grows nice and tall.
Ah, thank you for that suggestion and it is one I will add to the list. I had to look it up as I have a lot of Red Valerian which self-seeds everywhere but this is a different plant and not one I know. I will add it to the list.