by James Alexander-Sinclair
Every verge, bank and fence line is now alive with colour. And where flowers grow, wildlife follows and there are huge numbers of happily buzzing bees and flighty butterflies...
Who said gardening wasn't easy? Okay, maybe some parts aren't that simple - grafting, propagation, weeding on cliffs, getting rid of slugs and innumerable other things but some aspects of gardens are unbelievably straightforward.
Look at this picture. How difficult was that? Looks very hard but let me talk you through the process, step by step:
1. Buy seeds
2. Disturb ground.
3. Sow Seeds
3. Go back inside.
4. Wait. (There is an option of pouring oneself a cool something at this point in the proceedings)
5. Go outside and admire.
Nothing terribly complicated and yet the effect is extraordinarily wonderful.
This meadow is, admittedly on the big scale and has been planted by garden designer Ivan Hicks in the ground surrounding Butterfly World and Future Gardens. When I first visited in June, the approach to the site was a bit bleak - even the organisers described it as looking a bit like Helmand Province - but the transformation has been nothing short of spectacular. Every verge, bank and fence line is now alive with colour. And where flowers grow, wildlife follows and there are huge numbers of happily buzzing bees and flighty butterflies all over the place.
Ivan has sown a huge range of flowers (about 65 species) varying from sky blue cornflowers, to custard coloured daisies (Layia platyglossa), candy pink campion, mallows, coreopsis, gypsophila, corncockles and grinning sunflowers. My favourite is probably the little Linaria reticulata (you can see its little magenta and orange flowers in this picture). It is a very simple way of filling a gap - maybe while you are waiting for either inspiration or time to do something more permanent.
It is a fantastic sight, one that you will not see on such a scale anywhere else. There is another wave of flower to come as the summer continues.
The Future Gardens Show is near St Albans in Hertfordshire and is open until October. For a taster of what is there look here. Admission details here.
