Plantlife has launched a campaign to encourage gardeners to plant wildflowers. ‘You don't need to let your garden get tatty and overgrown to enjoy them,' says the charity's botanical specialist, Trevor Dines, who only plants wildflowers in his garden. ‘Wild plants and flowers can be woven into the tapestry of all garden styles.
'Some garden favourites-box, pasqueflower and Welsh poppy-are also some of our rarest native plants in the wild now. It always amazes me that you can pop into almost any garden centre and buy shrubby cinquefoil, yet in the wild, it's restricted to just two small areas.'
Dr Dines will be giving advice on planting wild flowers throughout the year on the website www.plantlife.org.uk/wildflower_garden.
Plantlife nominates seven gardens with wildflowers: Beth Chatto's garden, Colchester, Essex (01206 822007; www.bethchatto.co.uk); Braco Castle, Perth & Kinross (01786 880437); Gamesley Fold Cottage Garden, Glossop, Derbyshire (01457 867856; www.gamesleyfold.co.uk); Great Dixter, Northiam, East Sussex (01797 252878; www.greatdixter.co.uk); Haddo House, Ellon, Aberdeenshire (0844 493 2179; www.nts.org.uk/property/haddo-house); High Beeches, Handcross, West Sussex (01444 400589; www.highbeeches.com); Treborth Botanic Garden, Bangor, Gwynedd (01248 353398; www.treborthbotanicgarden.org).
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