Free wildflower seeds promote biodiversity

Mail order seed and plant specialists, Thompson and Morgan, are running a wildflower seed giveaway to celebrate Wild About Gardens Week and help improve local biodiversity.

From Monday 15th September until Sunday 21st September fifty lucky winners will win packets of their honey bee seed mix, Cornflower 'Blue Diadem' seeds and Ragged Robin seeds.

Wild About Gardens Weeks is a joint initiative, between the Royal Horticultural Society and Wildlife Trusts, aiming to boost numbers of common garden species in gardens across the United Kingdom.

The venture was inspired by a worrying report, published in 2013 by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which concluded that sightings of many of our favourite garden friends - including hedgehogs and starlings - were declining. In fitting form competition entrants will be quizzed on the species of bird the RSPB use on their logo.

For those keen to get involved, it doesn't require a lot of land or too much time. According to Thompson & Morgan's Horticultural Director Paul Hammond, acres of land are not a necessity. Simply setting aside a small section of your garden, or a few patio pots, for wildflower species 'will help draw a wide range of beneficial insects, which in turn will attract bird, amphibians and mammals.' Amongst the green-fingered expert's top wildflower picks are: wild poppies, cowslip and ox-eye daisy.

The offer is also set to make the most of perfect autumnal weather conditions. The soil, still warm from summer sun, will encourage quick germination whilst rising levels of rainfall will water the seedlings, so that you don't have to. This will result in tough plants that are ready to take on any winter cold snap and quick to bloom come the spring months, say experts.

For those who miss out on Thompson & Morgan's wonderful give-away, handy ready to sow mixes are available from their website, or you can visit the Wild About Gardens homepage for other ideas on how to encourage wildlife into your garden and boost local biodiversity.

* Find out more and enter the competition