Additional information
Typical flowering season
Feb/March – November (depending on plant palette – add bulbs for early flowering)
Recommended maintenance regime
Minimum once per year in late July/August (before you’ll want to!), with a recommended second aggressive cut either Autumn or in exceptional circumstances late Winter (February)
Biodiversity contribution
Good (Excellent if good green roof management practices are followed)
Advantages
Much deeper substrate in planted areas enhances resilience during dry spells (NB irrigation still recommended).
Generous decorative pebbles channels emulate river bed, and provide additional drainage for excessive rainfall.
Wider variety of plants can be grown viably, all of which food source for pollinators when in flower.
Can be seeded & plugged, or use pregrown for quicker results.
Clump forming plants provide excellent shelter and overwintering for invertebrates.
Taller plants eliminate visual disruption from invasive species.
Expect these plants to brown off from mid-summer: our maintenance partners www.greenroofrevival.com can bring down beautiful sprays of dried wildflower stems for you to use in long-lasting floral arrangements.
No need to feed.
Plants survive in root zone, drought tolerant within reason.
Planting mix can be tailored to include specialists for eg shady spots, exposed coastal locations etc
Drawbacks
Increased depth requires stronger structure below, but does not eliminate need for irrigation.
Maturity & good coverage (not exactly same thing) reached after couple years.
Usually benefits from seeding into bare areas in care visit at Spring following install.
Where seeded & plugged, cannot be planted in Winter, until past frosts (usually April).
These plants survive in the root zone, so browning off is normal – but this not to everyones taste.
You’ll need to cut them before you want to, but where weather conditions are favourable a second show can happen into late Autumn.
Download our ‘Honesty Box’ below for a candid summary of what to expect when growing native wildflowers on your roof in the UK’s increasingly extreme/extended weather patterns.
Download the PDF SHINGLE MEADOW SPEC MEADOW HONESTY BOX
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