Return of the milkmaids

already dissallusioned · Apr 24, 2024

Just thought I would share a picture of wild meadow flowers cheers me up.
We used to spread bagged nitrogen on the farm until 20 years ago and had no wild flowers in meadows
I remember my dad saying how when he was young the meadows were full of flowers.
Now I know what he meant .
Over 20 different species of plants in meadows now.

john432 · Apr 24, 2024

Plough and a reseed would sort that

David. · Apr 24, 2024

I also remember my Grandfather saying there was no need to spray out all the buttercups either, or put on any N.
But we never had any grass 'till I did.

john432 · Apr 24, 2024

Those old meadows might be pretty to look at..but a dairy cow will give a true nutritional value the next milking.

delilah · Apr 24, 2024

British Whites too

DrWazzock · Apr 24, 2024

But back then you could get a living of a lot fewer cows than folk seem to need now.

David. · Apr 24, 2024

Spot on.
And I meant no disrespect to OP, it is a fine thing not to be flogging your soil 110%.

Which is where my Grandfather was at.

2wheels · Apr 24, 2024

already dissallusioned said:
Just thought I would share a picture of wild meadow flowers cheers me up.
We used to spread bagged nitrogen on the farm until 20 years ago and had no wild flowers in meadows
I remember my dad saying how when he was young the meadows were full of flowers.
Now I know what he meant .
Over 20 different species of plants in meadows now.

needs lime?

john432 · Apr 24, 2024

2wheels said:
needs lime?

Definitely pelleted bagged lime, 2ctw's and acre would sort it out for 10 years

som farmer · Apr 24, 2024

already dissallusioned said:
Just thought I would share a picture of wild meadow flowers cheers me up.
We used to spread bagged nitrogen on the farm until 20 years ago and had no wild flowers in meadows
I remember my dad saying how when he was young the meadows were full of flowers.
Now I know what he meant .
Over 20 different species of plants in meadows now.

does it qualify as a wild flower mix, under SFI ?

ollie989898 · Apr 24, 2024

That is not a field of wildflowers. That is flowering shepherds pursue you will find anywhere!

som farmer · Apr 24, 2024

don't think its sheperds purse ollie

ollie989898 · Apr 24, 2024

som farmer said:
don't think its sheperds purse ollie

I'd bet money it is. Some dandelions and shepherds pursue- I bet traditional wildflowers wouldn't be anything like in bloom yet.

PhilipB · Apr 24, 2024

already dissallusioned said:
Just thought I would share a picture of wild meadow flowers cheers me up.
We used to spread bagged nitrogen on the farm until 20 years ago and had no wild flowers in meadows
I remember my dad saying how when he was young the meadows were full of flowers.
Now I know what he meant .
Over 20 different species of plants in meadows now.

Interesting that you call Cuckoo Flowers (cardamine pratensis) Milkmaids.

I grew up calling them Milkmaids, but it's not in any of the wild flower books

Princess Pooper · Apr 24, 2024

ollie989898 said:
That is not a field of wildflowers. That is flowering shepherds pursue you will find anywhere!

rubbish. The white flowers are mainly cuckoo flower, also known as milkmaids or ladiesmocks. Often a very pale lilac colour and in full flower at this time of year in damp grasslands. There also a few daisies in the foreground. On our rig and furrow they grow along the wetter furrows, creating stripes.

Surprised at you!

Cab-over Pete · Apr 24, 2024

It’s a shame there are very few areas of true wildflower meadows these days. But the fact is, that kind of land seldom pays as part of a progressive business.

Maybe 10 years ago I was asked to walk a 15 acre bank near Daventry, Northants. It was waist high in mid June and absolutely rammed with flowers, plus plantain and loads of grass. If mowed the swaths would have been immense.

At the time I was keeping sheep on our 14 acres and was trying to establish a varied sward , but it didn’t really take after direct drilling.

As I walked the field I hatched a plan that maybe I could get somebody local to mow it and make it into hay for me. Then I could feed it in the winter, on the ground across my 14 acres and see what happened, if any of the seed would take.

But the field was to be sprayed off in the next couple of days and then flail mowed and left to rot down. It was planted with wheat in that October.

I said nothing and that was that, but I really regret not trying to push it and harvest that hay with all its seed.

I still spread on it and its productive arable land, but I still think it’s a great shame.

I took these few pics but it doesn’t really do it justice.

Every acre looked like the above, absolutely beautiful.

topground · Apr 24, 2024

I was expecting another version of the Oooooh thread.

GEMS · Apr 24, 2024

PhilipB said:
Interesting that you call Cuckoo Flowers (cardamine pratensis) Milkmaids.

I grew up calling them Milkmaids, but it's not in any of the wild flower books

Also only know it as milkmaids .

Lamb's Orchard · Apr 24, 2024

Cardamine pratensis is currently flowering in my orchard. Was trying to strim around it today, not entirely successfully.

Exfarmer · Apr 24, 2024

GEMS said:
Also only know it as milkmaids .

Milkmaid’s flower, Lady’s Smock

Return of the milkmaids

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