advice needed on wild flowers for field margins

[rickvv]

This topic may have been discussed previously but I would appreciate some more views on the subject.
I keep my bees with local farmers who also operate the agricultural margin scheme around their fields. These margins are mainly grass, and to encourage a greater diversity of wildlife, several farmers have proposed to plough the margins and to sow wild flower seeds. They have asked me which plants are of most benefit to honey bees.
The criteria,as I see it should be as follows:
1 flowers early in the year to generate pollen -although there is plenty of blackthorn,hazel and willow to satisfy that need also.
2 main flowering period to be June/July and again in August (to bridge those dead gaps)
3 visually appealing (to keep the non farming locals happy!)
The area where I live is wall-to-wall OSR, and wild flower flowering is definetly not needed during this period.
The total margins to be covered (within a 3km flying range) are some 8000 meters (width 6 meters), which equates to approx 12 acres
The soil is heavy loam/light clay, neutral to slightly acidic, and is mainly in an area considered to be a flood plain with a correspondingly high water table.
Any suggestions?

 

[tonybloke]

dandelions, but not sure if farmers are keen on them?

 

[Snail368]

White clover!!!

 

[Teemore]

Something with a mix of Borage and Sainfoin.

 

[nelletap]

I am not an expert but have been interested in green manure plants like phacelia and virgo trefoil mix. I got these from a seed place called Otter farm. I have witnessed how the bees love phacelia though only heard about the other. green manure plants can either be cut down to help improve the soil and get ploughed in or they can be left to protect the soil over winter. I imagine this could be of interest in a farming situation - and if the same area is to be used for mixed wildflowers next year then would improve the soil ready for that given that you say it is heavy clay / loam /light clay that might be useful. It seems to suggest there is a 3 month sowing period and a fairly fixed time from sowing to flowering so scope to have a continuation, possibly, over at least some of the times you are concerned about. If this first year were sown with green manure, some of the recommendations are that September is a good time to sow wildflower seeds to get an early crop the following year. There was a good article in the Telegraph a while back and I think the title was Green Manures. I'll put the link though I am not sure whether it would be classed as information or commercial so it may be censored http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/howtogrow/9200394/Sow-a-patch-and-replenish-your-plot.html

 

[Rich0909]

Sarah Raven's seed mix for clay/loam includes:

Spring into Summer Flowering

Cowslip ❀ March – May
Common Birdsfoot Trefoil ❀ May – July
Lady’s Bedstraw ❀ Late May – August
Rough Hawksbit ❀ May – July
Red Clover ❀ May – October
Oxeye Daisy ❀ May – July
Yellow Rattle ❀ May – July
Meadow Buttercup ❀ May – July

Summer into Autumn Flowering

Self Heal ❀ June – September
Sorrel ❀ June – September
Tufted Vetch ❀ June – September
Common Knapweed ❀ June – September
Common Toadflax ❀ July – October
Musk Mallow ❀ July – October
Ragged Robin ❀ July – September

Rich

 

[johnandyrob]

I know probably not a good name but have a look at syngentas operation pollinator

 

[Davelin]

Sarah Raven's seed mix for clay/loam includes:

Spring into Summer Flowering

Cowslip ❀ March – May
Common Birdsfoot Trefoil ❀ May – July
Lady’s Bedstraw ❀ Late May – August
Rough Hawksbit ❀ May – July
Red Clover ❀ May – October
Oxeye Daisy ❀ May – July
Yellow Rattle ❀ May – July
Meadow Buttercup ❀ May – July

Summer into Autumn Flowering

Self Heal ❀ June – September
Sorrel ❀ June – September
Tufted Vetch ❀ June – September
Common Knapweed ❀ June – September
Common Toadflax ❀ July – October
Musk Mallow ❀ July – October
Ragged Robin ❀ July – September

Rich

White clover better than red for honey bees.

 

[flemage]

You have a great opturtunity there get some expert advise.

these guys are good.

http://www.beehappyplants.co.uk/

 

[BBG]

These will send it by the Kg and post free on I think £50.

They can get most anything and will mix to suit what you require.

Pollen and nectar mix - but these need cutting and tending a bit during 1st and 2nd year to ensure continued growth after that period.

Sainfoin, Hyssop, melilot,

A few acres of Sainfoin would be good for the horse set who want a quality product for their stock - good for cattle too.

http://tinyurl.com/cwkrjx8

Keep at the local and district council and all councillors (you'll have to educate and that may take some while but has to be worth a try for planting roundabouts, verges etc.

The PAs of upper echelons are worth cultivating as much of what makes it through to their boss has been heavily sifted by them.

Write to MPs MEPs - even our man Geoffrey has asked questions, regarding bees, in the Commons the other day.

Write to Fera and ask for their support ref miles of margins and verges and roundabouts planted with bee friendly plants instead of the b awful desert we have now.

Just a few thoughts ...... hope it's o some help.