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The Pictorial Meadows mixtures are carefully blended seed mixes of native and non-native hardy annuals designed to provide high quality and cost-effective flowering displays. They have been developed following several years of intensive trials by Dr Nigel Dunnett at the University of Sheffield.
Pictorial Meadows Annual Mixes Sow Pictorial Meadows Annual seed mixes in the spring – March, April, May - and they will produce superb colour displays within 8 weeks or so of sowing. Unlike other annual meadow mixtures, Pictorial Meadows mixtures are formulated so that as one species in the mix starts to die back it is replaced by another to give continuous displays from midsummer through to late autumn. The sowing rate is 2.5 - 3 grams per square metre
Unlike other mixes that are available, Pictorial Meadows will flower and provide visual interest over an extremely long period of time (from summer through to late autumn). They overcome many of the problems that are often associated with creating meadows from seed, such as unreliable germination, short flowering season, untidy appearance and the need to sow on low-fertility soils. Pictorial Meadows create sumptuous visual effects; they are formulated primarily for their harmonious and impressionistic colour associations rather than attempting to copy the species compositions of meadows that might be found in the wild. They inject drama into large-scale commercial landscapes and create sparkling, complex and intricate pictures at the very smallest of scales. Providing a colourful, wildlife-friendly replacement for mown grass, or more formally in planting beds, or to provide colour between planted shrubs, trees and perennials.
Pictorial Meadows Perennial Mixes Perennial meadows provide beautiful intricate and naturalistic displays that carry on from year to year, without the need for repeated cultivation. While lacking the overwhelming flower-power of the annual meadows, our perennial meadows share the same characteristics of very long seasons of flowering and harmonious colour displays. Again, we mix native with non-native cultivated species to heighten visual effects. All mixes contain a small amount of annuals for first-year flowering effect. The sowing rate is 1gram per square metre
The mixtures have been used successfully in urban parks, private gardens, school grounds, play areas, urban highways, verges and roundabouts. Cover Photo by Hugo Luczyc-Wyhowski - Pictorial Meadows Standard/Classic Mix
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Pictorial Meadows Classic/Standard Annual Mix The original Pictorial Meadows mix that produces stunning displays from late June until November, starting out with white, blues, pinks and reds, turning to reds, orange and yellow in the autumn. The mix has been carefully balanced for colour and succession of display. Major components include: Shirley Poppy, Californian Poppy, Cornflower, Fairy Toadflax, Red Flax, Bishop’s Flower, Tickseed, Corn Marigold, Black-eyed Susan and Larkspur. General Height: 60cm. Photos - The Garden House, Saxby , Lincs
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Pictorial Meadows Short Annual Mix A mix suited especially to more restricted or compact situations, but having the same long-flowering characteristics of the standard mixture. Components include Fairy Toadflax, Red Flax, Californian Poppy, Convolvulus Minor, Love-in-a-mist, Candytuft, Larkspur, Dwarf Cornflower. General Height: 30-40 cm.
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Pictorial Meadows Marmalade Annual Mix A wonderful mix of rich tones of yellow, orange and reds. Made from tasty recipe including Red Flax, Painted Daisy, Black-eyed Susan, Californian Poppy
Pictorial Meadows Candy Annual Mix Bright sparkling colours including purples, yellows, red, white and blues producing stunning eye-candy effects. Main Components : Purple Tansy, Fairy Toadflax, Poppies and Corn Marigold.
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Pictorial Meadows Contrasting Annual Mix A vibrant mix with a combination of orange and yellow with contrasting blue components. Throwing together species like Cornflower, Red and Blue Flaxs and Larkspur.
Pictorial Meadows Pastel Annual Mix A beautiful ‘strawberries & cream’ mix of white and pink with a scattering of clear blue. Gently blending elements such as Bishops Flower, Cosmos and Shirley Poppy
Pictorial Meadows Volcanic Annual Mix A fiery mix of reds with some purple and a splash of gold, giving an eruption of flowers including Red Clover, Red Flax, Purple Cornflower and Red Orache.
Pictorial Meadows Native Cornfield Annual Mix A carefully selected mix of pretty native annuals that will flower mainly in July and August. Includes Field Poppy, Cornflower, Corn Marigold, Scentless Mayweed and Corncockle.
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Pictorial Meadows Golden Summer Perennial Mix Yellows and golds, with hints of orange and purple. Contains, amongst other species, Garden Yarrow, Perennial Black-eyed Susan, Lance-leaf Coreopsis, Lady’s Bedstraw, Yellow Oxe-eye, St John’s Wort, Greater Knapweed, Meadow Clary.
Pictorial Meadows Purple Haze Perennial Mix A colour-themed mixture of predominantly purple and blue, with billows of white for contrast. Main species include Columbine, Greater Knapweed, Field Scabious, Wild Carrot, Hedge Bedstraw, Meadow Clary, Perennial Cornflower, Perennial Flax, Oxe-eye Daisy, Purple Loosetrife, Purple Cornflower, Prairie Aster, Joe Pye Weed.
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Pictorial Meadows Woodland Edge Perennial Mix A very free-flowering mixture to sow amongst shrubs, around new tree planting and in woodland edge situations. Includes Hedge Bedstraw, Red Campion, Oxe-eye Daisy and American Wood Aster
Pictorial Meadows Native Meadow Perennial Mix A selection of very dependable native species that will succeed in a wide range of soils and conditions. Includes: Oxe-eye Daisy, Lady’s Bedstraw, Cowslip, Greater Knapweed, Black Knapweed, St John’s Wort. Flowering predominantly in June, July and August.
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RHS Harlow Carr
The Eden Project
Year 1
Year 2
Viables Roundabout Basingstoke featuring “Purple Haze� in Year One and Year Two. We include annual seeds as part of our perennial mixes so you get flowers in the first season while the perennial seeds are germinating. It changes in subsequent years as the perennials take over.
An Ideal Gift You can now give the Gift of Pictorial Meadows in these attractive Tub presentation. Featuring the 6 top selling Annual mixes each tub includes 30g of the mix combined with 30g of Vermiculite to help sowing. These Tubs contain enough seed to cover 10 -15 sq metres
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is there any grass seed content in your mixes? A) There is no grass content to the mixes. Don’t mix with grass as it will kill off the flowers Q. Can I just scatter the flowers over existing grass to create a meadow effect? A) Unfortunately not - the seeds have to be sown on bare soil. Q. What are the suggested sowing rates for your mixes? A) The suggested sowing rates are 2.5 - 3g per square metre for annuals and 1g per square metre for perennials. Q. Will your annual mixes self-seed? A) Only some of the species in the annual mixes will. To get the same effect you have to sow fresh each year. Q. Will Birds eat the seed ? A) No, they are too small for them to notice Q. Will Rabbits eat the flowers ? A) Yes probably they are a tasty treat and rabbits will eat anything Q. Will your mixes work in Sandy/Chalky/Clay soil ? A) Yes. They will work on all types of soil but the better the soil the better the result. Q. Do I need to water the seeds if it doesn’t rain once I’ve sown them ? A) No. There is usually enough rain eventually and if you over-water they could rot before they germinate. Q Will your mixes work in shady areas? A) The mixes do need sunshine at some point during the day but the Woodland Edge perennial mix is designed for very shaded areas. Q How long will the seed keep if I don’t use it all? A) Usually for several years - keep in a cool dry place Q. Can I mix annual and perennials seeds to get a show of flowers in the first year? A)There is no need. We already include a proportion of annual seeds in each perennial mix to give a good show in the first year while the perennials are getting established. Q. Can I blend the mixes together ? A) You can if you want but that defeats the objective . Each mix is designed to produce it’s own long-lasting show. Taller plants in one mix may hide shorter plants in another mix so you will get a better show if you keep them separate.
Using Pictorial Meadows When you buy Pictorial Meadows seeds we send you detailed instructions on how to sow and maintain them. If you want you can read these on our website. But in summary it is not as complicated as you may first think and if you read the outline guide below it will give you an idea of what is involved. 1) You must sow onto bare soil. So you do have to get rid of any weeds and grass first. 2) You just scatter the seeds over the ground - don’t dig them in 3) You should start to see growth within 6 weeks of sowing. It may look like weeds and be patchy - but don’t worry within a short while it will fill out. 4) Then sit back, watch and enjoy the show. You don’t need to do anything else until the end of the flowering period (Sept/Oct) - then when it looks too straggly just trim it down with a strimmer and remove the cuttings. 5) If you sowed annuals then the following spring you have to re-sow again to get the same showing 6) If you have sown perennial seeds, you don’t need to do anything just wait for them to start growing again in the spring. If you spot plants that are obvious weeds that you definitely recognise (say dandelions) you can hand remove them if you want. But if you are in doubt wait until they flower because they could be part of the mix.
Pictorial Meadows Ltd Manor Oaks Farmhouse 389 Manor Lane Sheffield S2 1UL
Tel 0114 267 7635 Fax 0114 267 7636 Email: info@greenestate.org www.pictorialmeadows.co.uk