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Grow wildlife-friendly flowers

Flowers are the key to a wildlife-friendly neighbourhood, so pack in as many of them as you can.

A wildflower meadow filled with a bright array of Poppies.

Which flowers are right for your community?

The wonderful thing about flowers is that there’s a vast array to choose from, so you’re bound to find something suitable for your community project, whether you’d like to flower-up an unloved corner with potted plants or you have plans for a full-blown wildflower meadow. Here are the three main options to consider:

Instructions

Wildflower meadow

The sight of delicate wildflowers and tufty grasses wafting in a summer breeze is a real delight, made all the better by the bees and butterflies they attract. To give your wildflower meadow the best chance of thriving, you’ll need to choose a relatively large, open area that basks in sunlight for much of the day. Check out our handy video and step-by-step instructions on how to get started. Our friends at Buglife also have lots of helpful advice on creating a community meadow

A closeup of a wildflower meadow in the orange glow of the sun.

Annual plants

Annual plants provide a glorious burst of colour for a short period during the year, before they set seed (if they’re not sterile) and die. Although the odd few plants might sprout from these seeds the following year, you’ll need to cultivate the soil and sow new seeds to get a good display of flowers. There are lots of wildlife-friendly varieties to choose from and many are suitable for pots and planters.

Poppies against an orange background.
Partnering with

The RSPB is a member of BirdLife International.More