A tree puzzle

[ppppenguin]

They were a bit tall for camomile. Possibly oxeye daisy: https://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/76

[Refugee]

I visited a location with a large wild flower meadow that was seeded.
You can see the different mixes in the various bags of seed including one area that is covered with daisies.
The plant seeds will spread over the years until in many years time you will never notice that many packs of seed were used.
The actual mix of seed you get is as wild as the flowers themselves.

[Nick]

They were a bit tall for camomile. Possibly oxeye daisy: https://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/76

There are two types of chamomile. Though they are different species they both contain the same essential oil.

1. English/Roman/Russian, which grows to about 12"/30cm tall
   
2. German, which grows to about 24"/60cm tall. 
   

German  has a higher concentration of the essential oils and is the main type grown commercially. The English/Roman/Russian version is the one sometimes used in lawns.

Also, if you look closely, you'll see that the petals are hanging down slightly - this is indicative of the German version. However a better photo would be needed for confirmation.

We have fields of it near here (in Paddock Wood) - you can smell the scent from 100s of metres away.

Regarding wild flower mixes, it's far from straightforward. Just because you have a bunch of mixed wild flower seeds doesn't mean they'll all spread past year one.

What happens is that certain varieties will quickly dominate - those that are best suited to the environment - drainage, pH, light levels, grazing, exposure etc. When sowing wild flower mixes you have to chose the mix very carefully for the site's conditions as mixes are expensive and you want them to last.

[Doodlebug]

You have to keep the ground for wild flowers in a poor low nutrient condition.
After mowing never let the cuttings rot away on the ground. Just allow the seeds to drop and then
rake up the cuttings.
If you don't the ground becomes richer and courser flowers and grass will begin to take over.

[Diabolical Artificer]

That looks like Chamomile Jeffrey, don't think they're being grown, look at all the grass in between. Chamomile grows that tall, it makes brilliant T, great for relaxing you and in fistfulls will knock you out ensuring sleep. There's a relative called Pineapple Mayweed that grows very low to the ground, in between old cart tracks that has a wonderfull pineapple smell. Chamomile used to be used as a lawn, I think there was a lawn of it at Hampton Crt I think. There are numerous species called Camomile, see Matricaria - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matricaria_chamomilla & - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamomile.

You know your stuff Albert.

Andy.

[Doodlebug]

Some years ago and for many years I helped maintain large wild flower meadows.
We would use a small sickle bar mower to cut the flowers down.
One keen chap actually used a hand scythe
Leave the cuttings for a week for seeds to drop then rake them up by hand.
Sweaty work in hot summers. :-)

[Nick]

The cutting and raking method is what the Kent Wildlife Trust do on a lot of their ancient meadows.

They only cut once the seed head has developed - these are allowed to ripen and dry. They split, then are raked up.

The poor soil bit is very true - if fertility is too great, the wild flowers are out competed by nettles, grass & dock etc.

[ppppenguin]

Here's the best I can get of the daisy/camomile from the original photo. Didn't notice any particular smell.

A few years ago I let my lawn grow as a wild flower meadow for a year and it wasn't bad. Apart from the usual daisies, buttercups and dandelions there was red clover, some small blue flowers and various other things. Very little coarse stuff, no nettles. I use a mower with a grass box so nutrient levels will be fairly low.

When it comes to the main cut of a wild flower meadow in July/August it will probably be too long for my ordinary electric wheeled mower. The easiest way to do it seems like a decent strimmer followed by raking. The garden is small enough that a good electric strimmer will work. No need to fuss with petrol. Something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bosch-three-pro...B01AK2DYEQ

[roadster]

Most mornings I walk the dog past a field which normally has horses grazing. At this time of year there are normally a handful of southern marsh orchids flowering alongside the path. This year there are no horses in the field and there are several hundred orchids flowering in clusters across the field!

[Nick]

Most mornings I walk the dog past a field which normally has horses grazing. At this time of year there are normally a handful of southern marsh orchids flowering alongside the path. This year there are no horses in the field and there are several hundred orchids flowering in clusters across the field!

Kent Wildlife Trust has the Marden Meadow just down the road from us. They have 10s of 1000s of Green Winged orchids earlier in the year - typically early May - they are over now - also it's a SSSI with loads of ponds and wildlife.

It's a beautiful site - hardly anyone knows about it or goes there. It's an ancient "unimproved" hay meadow, i.e. it's never been tilled or artificially fertilised in 100s of years.