News

Today marks 801 years since Magna Carta. A magnificent garden was created last year to celebrate the 800th anniversary.
Patricia Thirion and Janet Honour from A Touch of France Garden Design used the historic peace treaty between unpopular King John of England and a group of rebel barons to create a quintessential medieval garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show last year. Magna Carta, Latin for “the Great Charter” is a charter agreed at Runnymede in June 1215, first drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Magna Carta is considered one of the most significant political documents in English history, due to its influence on English law in subsequent centuries.
Law. Liberty. Legacy.
Three of the key principles of the Magna Carta are inscribed on a slice of historic yew tree trunk at the front of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Magna Carta garden. The slice of Yew was inscribed to relate to Magna Carta, with a link to the 2000 years old Ankerwicke yew growing near Runnymede meadow. It was placed in the front of the garden surrounded by wildflowers, supplied by Wildflower Turf.
The Magna…

Last Spring, a park was created in London for the first time in one hundred years.
3,850m² of a mixture of Wildflower Landscape Turf and Shade Tolerant Turf was taken to Greenwich Peninsula, to be installed by Gavin Jones. Alys Fowler teamed up with Thomas Hoblyn (clients: Knight Dragon), to create a biodiverse setting in an urban area. Not only did they use Wildflower Turf to create serene meadows on the banks, they installed boxes for bee keeping, apple trees and wild herbs. This project is a prime example of a state-of-the-art urban area introducing a more environmentally-friendly atmosphere to welcome all kinds of nature for the public to engage with.
The area was challenging, due to not only having high foot-traffic, but also containing contaminated soil and steep mounds, making installation on the banks complex. In this situation, the easiest option would have been to install lawn turf, however, Alys was determined to introduce biodiversity into the project, so wildflowers were the chosen solution.
The wildflowers flourished magnificently, despite the area having heavy public use at the opening event shortly after installation. We visited the site a year on to find the wildflowers still thriving. The…

Jekka McVicar, highly acclaimed organic gardening expert, is appearing once again at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this week with a Main Avenue Show Garden featuring Wildflower Turf. The unique Show Garden, which will be relocated to St John’s Hospice at the end of the show, was created with an aim to inspire today’s visitor and to ensure that the history, culinary and medicinal usage of herbs are not lost for future generations. Not only is the garden an excellent resource for plant identification but also a gastronomic delight for anyone interested in good food, as it displays the largest collection of culinary herbs in the UK.
“Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”
50m² of our Wildflower Shade Tolerant Turf has been used for Jekka’s tranquil project, to reinforce one of the main purposes of the project, which is to create a place of quiet reflection. The vibrancy and serenity of the wildflowers will perfectly match the purpose of Jekka’s creation. The garden will seek to highlight the important relationship between medicine and nature while providing rehabilitation…

 The journey of the British bee will be brought to life this summer at Kew Gardens when the award winning Hive installation from the 2015 Milan Expo, is relocated to the Royal Botanic Gardens. The Hive was the centrepiece of the UK Pavilion at last year’s global event in Milan and stood as a visual symbol of the pollinators’ role in feeding humanity and the challenges facing bees today. It will fulfil a similar role at Kew, hoping to show visitors how they can make a difference to the life of bees with a multi-sensory experience, including architecture, science, music and wildflower landscapes.
Visitors will be drawn into The Hive via a lush and vibrant wildflower meadow that Wildflower Turf Ltd are delighted to be growing for Kew Gardens. Tony Kirkham, Head of Arboretum and Horticultural Services at Kew, has been making regular visits to Wildflower Turf Ltd to discuss the different types of wildflower products to be used and check on their progress. A mix of Landscape Turf and Border…

A CASE STUDY – TRANSFORMING A NEGLECTED AREA
The Borough of Kings Lyn and West Norfolk wanted to transform an area that had been neglected over the years and subsequently blighted with anti-social behaviour. They wanted to find a solution to this overgrown site to encourage the local residents back into the adjoining park and change public perception of this area that had developed a bad reputation amongst the wider community.

After compulsory purchasing the land, the project clean-up and clearance was managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, due to otters, water vole and many other species that lived within the area. It was decided that by introducing a high impact wildflower display, the creation of a pictorial meadow would positively change the way people feel about the area. The council went about researching the best way to establish wildflowers to create quick but long lasting results.

This summer we will be holding two open days in July where you are warmly invited to come and visit the Wildflower Turf farm. Our open days have always been popular for wildflower enthusiasts and  particularly useful for those that are creating wildflower areas as part of their work, be it garden design, landscaping, maintenance of parks and green spaces or even the development of wildflower roofs. Wildflower Turf Ltd are the UK’s leading dedicated wildflower specialist and have pioneered products that provide instant, guaranteed meadows. Since our involvement in the 2012 Olympics and other high profile landscapes and gardens including the winning RHS Chelsea show garden with Dan Pearson last year, public interest in wildflower meadows is at an all time high. Our open day helps debunk the myths surrounding wildflower meadow creation and will help inform you of the possibilities and perhaps inspire you to create wildflower areas.

We have set aside two dates in July. Each morning will comprise of very similar content but we have decided to try and add information and case…

Are you considering a wild area in your garden, do you love the idea of being submerged in wildflowers this summer. If a wildflower meadow is a possible garden project for 2016, let Wildflower Turf convince you why it should be on top of your list.
1. Species biodiversity. The wonderful thing about a wildflower meadow is that it is an ever changing picture with new species to spot each week through the Spring and Summer. Our landscape turf has 34 different species of native wildflowers and it is great to get to know them all as they appear through the spring and summer months.

2. A wildlife haven. From the tiniest flying insects to colourful butterflies and moths, from larks and finches to barn owls and red kites your meadow will become home to a major food source for a wide range of wildlife. Pollinators such as wild bumble bees, moths, butterflies, wasps, beetles, hoverflies as well as honey bees have faced serious difficulty over the last 100 years with habitat loss, pesticides and the depletion of nectar sources. Without them, our £210bn per…

In 2011, whilst creating bespoke wildflower mixes for the 2012 Olympic site, we were asked to create a special wildflower mix suitable for tree lined, shaded areas. 4 years on and the shady meadows in the East Village are healthy and colourful with a good mix of species and biodiversity.

Following the Olympics, we knew that the creation of a shade tolerant wildflower mix would be an important development for our landscaping clients. Wildflower Turf conducted research with Hillier Arboretum, trialling a number of different mixes within their tree nurseries, in order to provide a shade tolerant Wildflower Turf as a stock product. To look at the species mix within the Turf follow the link: Shade Tolerant Wildflower Turf
    
 
It isn’t just the lack of light that causes problems in tree…

The RHS Shows throughout the summer months are the font of inspiration for many of us and as we oooh and ahh at the amazing designs and the seamless planting on display it is difficult to imagine the work and the sleepless nights that go into creating perfection on what is usually a very small plot.
As naturalistic design, gardens for wildlife and low maintenance gardens are still very much de rigour,  we continue to help garden designers bring their plans to life by offering a solution, that even though it may have only been planted a couple of days earlier, can look like a scheme that has been in situ for years.
At Wildflower Turf we are well known for providing a solution for show gardens and film sets, that can immediately look like an established meadow. This blog aims to help you, the designer or contractor, to specify and install our turf to successfully create the look that has been envisaged in the design.
TYPES OF SHOW TURF
We have had requests for all sorts of show turf from our classic perennial landscape turf to muddy grass to adorn cat walks inspired by festival chic. We try and be as accommodating as possible but…

Would you like to join our growing team of accredited installers?

There has never been a better time to offer wild flower landscapes to your customers. Our specialist training will provide you with the latest methods and product knowledge for successful wild flower installations. As an accredited partner you will be eligible for substantial price discounts on the full range of our Wildflower Turf and Earth products meaning you can GUARANTEE the lowest prices to your customers.

A full day of training with both practical workshops and presentations at our headquarters in Overton, Hampshire; you will leave feeling inspired and excited about the opportunities for your landscape business.
Following your training you will be added to our Installer database that is accessible via our website to all who want to find specialist wild flower installers throughout the UK and you will be offered on-line and offline marketing support to help promote your new skills to your existing and new clients.

This year we are expanding the training programme and have dates available in April and June. The course takes place in Hampshire and we…