How to grow a wildflower meadow in a pot or container

[@meliatortilla4625]

I love how your dog is interested in what you’re doing

[@boostjunkieMike]

The sound of the birds is magical ❤️

[@flygrace]

Too loud though.

[@donnaq7626]

the dog and the birds singing, awesome!

[@itandrum]

I'm Indonesian and new in the UK and my daughter got wildflower seeds today from school. I have no idea how to plant. Thank you for making this video. Now i know what to do. ❤

[@BumblebeeTrust]

Hi Tata - welcome to the UK and it's so lovely to read your daughter received wildflower seeds from school. It is so important to provide food for bumblebees and other pollinators. We hope the seeds flourish and you get lots of insects visiting your garden :)

[@BMarie774]

You’re a wonderful parent! Thank you for taking the time to really learn how to grow the seeds. If the grow, your daughter will be helping literally save the world as she helps pollinators flourish.

[@natesmom2244]

I love your little garden helper, i have a black lab who also likes to supervise me in the garden lol

[@cherromirror4284]

Just used your method to plant wildflower seeds into a terracotta pot!

[@tonystephengrayson]

Your dog is so interested🤣

[@BumblebeeTrust]

😉

[@Heidi-Beth]

Your dog is paying very good attention.

[@jannolan6597]

Thank you I am going to try this

[@solarbatsbatty7190]

It's worth protecting with mesh to prevent the blackbirds throwing it all out! A damp pot is a beacon to them, especially in dry conditions!

[@jasonandlynnechambers3420]

Just what I needed. Cheers Emily.

[@panthergirl25]

I am doing my garden wildlife friendly I needed this thank you

[@BumblebeeTrust]

Fantastic!

[@Torthrodhel]

I'm gonna start looking in the local car boot sales and see if I can get some pots for the lovely bumbles. Our flat's shared garden is too shallow to actually plant anything in but definitely can put pots on it to grow some flowers in. It'll bee so lovely! :D

[@BumblebeeTrust]

Sounds perfect Jane! Please do let us know how you get on - take a look at our Bee the Change planting menus for inspiration: www.bumblebeeconservation.org/beethechange/ Good luck!

[@Torthrodhel]

@@BumblebeeTrust shall dee, bombylle bee! :D I have some 'bee bombs' and 'bee bars' just waiting for a place to plant them, which I got as birthday and christmas presents, but didn't have any outside area at the time to use them on.

[@lindaware3082]

Didn’t think it possible in a pot 🤷‍♀️ thanks for the idea 👍

[@chasjetty8729]

Thanks for your works. Keep it up.

[@thedoc4447]

Great video but I had to watch it twice as the first time around I was too busy watching that adorable dog.

[@BumblebeeTrust]

Fabulous! Monty is a wonderful bumblebee supporter :)

[@emerprendiville1515]

Me too ! He / she was watching & listening so acutely , taking it all in !! Beautiful dog .

[@youknoweverything7643]

I did this with pots and containers it's beautiful I also did this with hanging pots using save the monarch butterfly seeds and now I have a hanging and pot garden that is also a huge butterfly sanctuary I just can't do pretty honey bees cuse I'm allergic so I kill them sorry

[@JohnHenrySheridan]

LOvely Thanks !

[@missfoliageforever7963]

I will try this , just need this spring to really begin ( much too cold now). Thanks

[@kittybecker-smits154]

Awesome😊

[@lakeishamcfall4833]

Thank you !!!

[@alanguile8945]

Great video, looked outside for the bird before I cottoned on! Will give it a try😁.

[@BumblebeeTrust]

Fantastic, let us know how you get on!

[@argonaut6386]

Lovely video and tutorial. I've got some seeds from the Bee Square project in Hazlemere Bucks and will plant them in pots next spring. I'm guessing they could go in the same pots my daffs and tulips are in. Thanks again 😊

[@benfoxsmith]

Thank you! Would these flowers handle a bit of shade?

[@BumblebeeTrust]

Most plants can put up with a little shade, for example as a result of the sun moving and creating shade over the course of a day. Most seed packets have clear guidance about positioning on the back so you can select flowers that suit your outdoor space.

[@benfoxsmith]

@@BumblebeeTrust thank you!

[@HankTheStank710]

How big is that pot? About 5 gal?

[@MG-cd9ek]

Wish I could find pictures or videos to show the germination process. I started mine in pa last Thurs and they are already sprouting. Pretty remarkable. My zinnias aren't showing up yet. I just would like to know what it should look like as it progresses. Can't find anything. The top of my little plants have like white bulbs appearing. I used wildflower pollinator seeds. It's almost like dust. But wow it works. Really wish I could find pictures or videos to show the process.

[@BumblebeeTrust]

That's a good suggestion! Have you tried the RHS to see if they have anything. Glad you enjoyed the video

[@novarafan6423]

Sorry me again. If you want your wildflowers in pots to flower summer 2023 when is best to plant them autumn 2022 or spring 2023 or will both options flower in summer?

[@BumblebeeTrust]

Hi, thanks for your question. You can sow wildflower seed in autumn or spring but it’s probably best to wait until spring to avoid any issues arising from waterlogged pots or very cold temperatures over winter. Just store the seed somewhere cool, dark and dry over winter. Most commercially produced wildflower mixes will have sowing instructions on the packet somewhere which should keep you right.

[@novarafan6423]

@@BumblebeeTrust thanks very much🙂

[@marygara3028]

Loved the video can I ask when is the best time to sow the seeds

[@BumblebeeTrust]

The best time is Autumn/Spring :)

[@jsw207]

How often do you water?

[@BumblebeeTrust]

Good question! Aim to keep the compost moist but not waterlogged. How often you have to water will depend on the weather and temperature. If it rains a lot you probably won’t need to water very much, but if it’s warm and sunny you might have to lightly water once or twice a day.

[@annas728]

Could I try to plant these in a pot in the winter? My seed mix says to plant in the fall and they should come up in the spring.

[@BumblebeeTrust]

There’s no harm in sowing them in winter and seeing what happens, but in general it’s always best to follow the instructions on the packet :)

[@catwoman8861]

When would you suggest cutting back the wildflowers in the pots?

[@helenking7255]

Larger areas of wildflower meadow should be cut and removed in autumn to prevent a build-up of nutrients, which can allow grasses to grow and squeeze out wildflowers. In a smaller area, such as a pot or planter, this is less of an issue so you could either cut it back in autumn after flowering or leave until the following spring to tidy and make space for new growth. Leaving dried stems and leaves over winter can give other garden creatures somewhere to shelter too. Hope this helps!

[@venjenciearnold9658]

Do you ever need to transplant to the yard? Also can you use any type of packets of wildflower seeds?

[@watchdoglegion]

Interesting video thanks. What breed is monty? He's adorable

[@nouranzakaria2253]

When is the best month or season to plant them? And do they do well in hit countries like egypt

[@BumblebeeTrust]

Hi, thanks for your question. In the UK, you can sow wildflower seeds in autumn or spring. Just store the seeds somewhere cool, dark and dry until then. Most commercially produced wildflower mixes will have sowing instructions on the packet which should keep you right. We’re not sure which wildflowers grow best in Egypt so probably a good idea to do some local research if that’s where you live.

[@stacylela5760]

Doggie thinks this entire tutorial is for him/her. They didn’t miss a thing.

[@helenking7255]

😉

[@helenweatherby1694]

That wild bird had a lot to say!

[@martinwoodsie]

@bumblebee trust - great video! By the way would you just leave the soil exposed or would you be putting mulch on top to retain the moisture and also prevent other airborne seeds from getting in? Unless attracting other wild seeds and weeds is part of this, just for my own horticultural education :) many thanks

[@BumblebeeTrust]

Hi - No need to mulch. Just add a light layer of compost over the seeds. If you find, once they start growing, that you have other unwanted plants coming through you can just pull them out gently.

[@mollypitcher9380]

End result please????

[@MikeSmith-ng3rv]

What is the dogs problem? I think he buried a bone in the pot before the pot was appropriated for wild flower cultivation.

[@novarafan6423]

I'm confused I thought native wildflowers need nutrient light non fertile soil? Surely compost very nutrient rich and fertile and what native wildflowers dont want?

[@BumblebeeTrust]

You’re right, wildflowers don’t need nutrient rich compost to thrive but using homemade, or shop bought peat-free, compost is usually the easiest option for filling containers. Containers are more easily managed than larger patches of ground where, if the soil is nutrient rich, vigorous types of grass can out compete wildflowers. In nutrient poor ground wildflowers are better able to thrive than grasses. So, in this case the growing environment can be easily managed to exclude grasses and allow the wildflowers to flourish.

[@novarafan6423]

@@BumblebeeTrust ah understood! Thanks!

[@chextabexta4425]

thank u for the video but XoX being hit with plane, bird songs, and wind over your voice was distracting.