Return of the milkmaids

A

already dissallusioned

Member
Livestock Farmer
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.
 

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S

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
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.
Click to expand...
does it qualify as a wild flower mix, under SFI ? ;) ;) ;)
 
P

PhilipB

Member
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.
Click to expand...


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

Princess Pooper

Member
Location
East Mids
ollie989898 said:
That is not a field of wildflowers. That is flowering shepherds pursue you will find anywhere!
Click to expand...
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!
cuckooflower.JPG
 
Cab-over Pete

Cab-over Pete

Member
Location
Kenilworth, Warwickshire
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.

IMG_0222.jpeg

IMG_0085.jpeg
IMG_0084.jpeg


Every acre looked like the above, absolutely beautiful.
 

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