IN the past, wildflower meadows were common, often as hay meadows on farm land.

By Ian Boyd of Pollok Country Park

IN the past, wildflower meadows were common, often as hay meadows on farm land. They were great food sources and offered shelter for a huge variety of wildlife from invertebrates to birds and small mammals.

But with hay being used less and less, and chemical fertilisers and pesticides coming into favour, the spectacular sight of the meadow and associated wildlife is a rare experiences these days.

Bringing meadows back, even in our own backyards, could prevent the local extinction of a number of species.

Just allowing an area of your lawn to be left uncut would be a reasonable start, but the principles of creating a meadow would be the same for any size of meadow you have a vision to establish.

If you know the condition of your soil - damp or dry, enriched or poor in nutrients, shaded or in bright sunlight - then choosing what to grow will be easier. Notice what plants are already there or what is in a meadow in your own area.

Reducing competition from vigorous grasses and plants will be very important, and the existence of rye grass, docks, nettles, creeping thistle etc., would have to be dealt with.

For fertile soils, the first thing to do would be to remove the first layer of top soil, and rotovate the surface, or completely mulch the area for at least six months to start from scratch with bare brown soil.

Buying a "meadow mix" of seed will get things started, although this may be expensive.

Another option is to gather your own seed locally from grasses and meadow flowers.

If your plot already has four or five varieties of grass and some flowering plants, you may not need to start from scratch.

Introduce more meadow plants by planting Ox-eye Daisy, Yarrow, Self heal, Birds Foot Trefoil, etc., that you have bought, and have small mulched areas to plant them in.

After cutting and removing for two to three years, adding a variety of plants as you go along, you should be able to leave it alone to bloom and mature.

Cut your meadow every three to five years to prevent woody plants taking over. This gives the meadow an opportunity to establish its own character suitable for the conditions.

Planting Yellow Rattle (a semi-parasite of grasses) into your meadow will reduce the vigorous nature of some grasses allowing your meadow plants a greater opportunity to develop well.

• Next week: Jim Rae on pinks and border carnations.

TIP OF THE WEEK

By Jim Rae

Cultivating container-grown liliesMOST lilies can be grown in containers - clay pots, plastic pots or terracotta bowls, boxes, whisky barrels can all be used without detriment to the plants. The container should have good drainage. If not, simply make holes in the base to allow for a free flow of water.

Pieces of old clay pots should be placed over the drainage holes. Containers should ideally be around around 45cm deep.

Prepare the pot by cleaning it inside and out, removing old compost, then wash and rinse it thoroughly.

Player a layer of dried, riddled manure in the pot base, and a layer of compost over this to a depth ready to accept the bulb.

Place the bulb root side down on top of the compost - as a rule of thumb, plant the bulb two to three times the diameter of the bulb below the compost.

For small bulbs that means about 10cm below the surface, and for larger varieties about 15cm. But Madonna lilies should be placed no more than 2.5cm below the compost surface.

The newly-planted containers should be exposed to cool conditions initially to allow for good root development; in glasshouses, the plants need to be shaded late into the season.

Use a liquid feed once a onth throughout their growth.

Compost mix to use: two parts well-decayed bark dust, two parts short pumice, two parts spagnum peat. The eventual PH level should be between 6 and 6.5.

GARDENERS' QUESTION TIME

By Ian BoydHOW do I get rid of woodlice in the bottom of plant pots?

Woodlice are attracted to dark and damp areas, so are at home under your plant pots. They eat decomposing vegetation therefore may be grazing on your compost.

During the day they will be under your pots to prevent drying out, and at night they will wander around looking for food. Actually, because of their feeding habits, woodlice speed up the decomposition process and in general help return nutrients to the soil, having an overall beneficial effect on plants.

Small stones or crockery at the bottom of your pots, and the pots being placed on a tray kept clean of compost and dried after watering your plants, may see the woodlice off.

An area with a small log pile or slates or stones on the ground may attract them to their preferred habitat. Having woodlice in your garden may be helpful in general terms.