A Seed Mix for Biodiversity, Beauty, and Resilience

PhD Research: Crafting a Climate Resilient Wildflower Haven from Recycled Substrates

The creation of native wildflower areas offers substantial ecological and aesthetic advantages, particularly within urban landscapes like London. These plantings enhance biodiversity, provide crucial resources for pollinators, and establish visually appealing, low-maintenance green spaces.

Recycled Substrates

Many urban sites present challenging growing conditions, often characterised by low-nutrient soils. However, this characteristic is ideal for many wildflowers, which thrive where competition from vigorous grasses is reduced.

It explores how readily available urban waste, like construction materials, can be repurposed into low-cost, low-carbon growing media, moving away from resource-intensive topsoil and peat. The importance of this work lies in its potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of greening projects.

Climate Resilience

This research is vital because the UK's future climate, marked by hotter, drier summers and wetter winters, poses a significant threat to the survival and biodiversity of our green spaces. This study addresses this challenge by investigating how local plant species can adapt to these conflicting extreme conditions.

Ultimately, this work aims to prevent landscape homogenisation and ensure our green spaces are more sustainable, biodiverse, and better prepared for an uncertain climatic future.

Species Selection

The study will consist of a seed mixture with a unique ratio of perennials which will then be mixed with a selection of annuals to assist with the first year whilst the plants are establishing. This site details a small selection of the native, perennial plant species which are well suited for such conditions in London.

Principles for Selection

• Low-Nutrient Soil Adaptation: Species chosen are adapted to soils deficient in major nutrients, where they can outcompete fewer plants.
• Location Based Approach: Native species were selected using a place based approach specific to a small region.
• Climate Adaptability: Species were chosen for their expected ability to adapt to future changes to the local climate.
• Diversity in Flowers: A mix of annuals, biennials, and perennials ensures varied flower shapes, colours, and an extended bloom period from spring to autumn.
• Biodiversity: A wide variety of species are specifically selected to appeal to a range of insects, birds, and small mammals.

Biodiversity: Encouraging Nature

Wildflowers are fantastic for biodiversity because they form the base of a healthy ecosystem. They provide a vital food source and shelter, for a wide array of pollinators like bees, butterflies, and other insects as well as birds and small mammals.

The presence of diverse wildflower species helps to improve soil health and structure, reduce soil erosion due to their complex root systems, and can even aid in carbon sequestration, contributing to the fight against climate change.

From Seed to Meadow: Study Timeframe

Duration

• The study will run for at least two flowering seasons (2025-2026).
• Annuals and Perennials are included in this seed mix so the composition of the flowers in each pot will vary with the seasons.

Sowing Conditions

• Initial sowing: Spring 2025.
• Seeds sown directly into the substrates and lightly covered.

Long-Term Management

• The plants will be left unmaintained to assess how they work in a long-term setup with minimal maintinence.
• No fertiliser will be used for this study. Wildflowers thrive in low nutrient environments.
• No weeds will be removed to observe the natural progression of the wildflower pots.

Questions? Contact Us!

If you have any questions or suggestions, please write an e-mail to: wildflowersphd@uel.ac.uk.