Planting bulbs into the wildflower turf: Southbank Centre, London
At HAVEN we have extended the season for wildlife with an underplanting of bulbs, which are now in bloom
Here you can see in bloom; yellow Narcissus ‘Sailboat’, the bluish purple of Anemone blanda, and the nodding heads of snakeshead fritillary, Fritillaria meleagris
Photos by Eleanor Goulding
Flowering bulbs provide a source of nectar early in the year
Bulbs can be a great way to extend the season of your own wildflower patch – large or small – and will add an early source of nectar for pollinators – whilst also of course bringing a display of spring colour.
Photos by Eleanor Goulding
On an afternoon in early November last year, Eleanor and I planted nearly eighteen hundred bulbs at Haven, our pocket meadow at London’s Southbank Centre.
Photos by Maeve Polkinhorn
We were joined in our rooftop planting by a very tame pied wagtail (see video below), which was attracted by the worms and insects exposed by the meadow cutting we had done that morning.
Bulb selection for a wildflower patch
As Haven is situated right by the river Thames on quite a windy site I chose Narcissus ‘Sailboat’ with petals that are swept back as if sailing in the wind. This is a Jonquil Daffodil, Jonquils have smaller, fragrant flowers that often grow in clusters, their smaller stature means they are less likely to be snapped off by high winds. Narcissus ‘Sailboat’ is known for producing a good number of flowers from one bulb and will naturalise creating a good display year after year. To contrast with the lemon yellow narcissus we planted purple/blue Anemone blanda and a mixed selection of crocus as well as the snakeshead fritillary, Fritillaria meleagris. The latin epithet Meleagris means “spotted like a guineafowl’. Visitors to the Southbank can enjoy the patterns on these stunning flowers close-up (they are in flower during March and April) from the yellow staircase that winds up to the roof terrace just next to Haven. These beautiful wildflowers used to be a common site in British ancient hay meadows thriving in damper areas, particularly in water meadows alongside rivers.
Appropriate planting for a windy site alongside the river Thames
To extend the season even earlier into the year, we planted the snowdrop Galanthus elwessi ‘Mount Everest’ which starts flowering in January along with yellow aconites, Eranthis hyemalis, that flower from January to February. Finally for early summer bee and butterfly friendly blooms we added Allium ‘Purple sensation’ and Allium spaerocephalon.
Four months after planting, the bulbs are putting on a good display. The flowers are a fittingly cheerful celebration of Southbank’s 75th anniversary as well as the buildings recently awarded Grade II listing status.
Spring bulbs at Haven; an urban pocket wildflower meadow at Southbank Centre, London
Photos by Eleanor Goulding