Pictorial Meadows Seeds

The Pictorial Meadows mixtures are carefully blended seedmixes of native and non-native hardy annuals designed toprovide high quality and cost-effective flowering displays.They have been developed following several years of intensivetrials by Dr Nigel Dunnett at the University of Sheffield.

Unlike other mixes that are available, Pictorial Meadows willflower and provide visual interest over an extremely longperiod of time (from summer through to late autumn). Theyovercome many of the problems that are often associatedwith creating meadows from seed, such as unreliable germination,short flowering season, untidy appearance and the need tosow on low-fertility soils.

Pictorial Meadows create sumptuous visualeffects; they are formulated primarily fortheir harmonious and impressionistic colourassociations rather than attempting tocopy the species compositions of meadowsthat might be found in the wild.

They inject drama into large-scale commerciallandscapes and create sparkling, complex

and intricate pictures at the very smallest of scales. Providinga colourful, wildlife-friendly replacement for mown grass, ormore formally in planting beds, or to provide colour betweenplanted shrubs, trees and perennials.

The mixtures have been used successfully in urban parks,private gardens, school grounds, play areas, urban highways,verges and roundabouts.

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 meadowmixtures, Pictorial Meadowsmixtures are formulated sothat as one species in themix starts to die back it isreplaced by another to givecontinuous displays from

midsummer through to lateautumn.

The sowing rate is 2.5 - 3 gramsper square metre.

Pictorial Meadows Annual Mixes

Perennial meadows provide beautiful intricate and naturalisticdisplays that carry on from year toyear, without the need forrepeated cultivation. Whilelacking the overwhelmingflower-power of the annualmeadows, our perennialmeadows share the samecharacteristics of very longseasons of flowering andharmonious colour displays.Again, we mix native withnon-native cultivated speciesto heighten visual effects. Allmixes contain a proportion ofannuals seed for first-year floweringeffect. The sowing rate is 1gram per square metre

Pictorial Meadows Perennial Mixes

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Front Cover shows Pictorial Meadows Classic Mix in late summer/autumn.

The original Pictorial Meadows mix that produces stunning displays from late Juneuntil November, starting out with white, blues, pinks and reds, turning to reds, orangeand yellow in the autumn. The mix has been carefully balanced for colour andsuccession 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.

Pictorial Meadows Classic/Standard Annual Mix

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Late season flowering

A mix suited especially to more restricted or compact situations, but having the same long-flowering characteristicsof the standard mixture. A colourful alternative to bedding plants that change through the season Componentsinclude Fairy Toadflax, Red Flax, Californian Poppy, Convolvulus Minor, Love-in-a-mist, Candytuft, Larkspur, DwarfCornflower. General Height: 30-40 cm.

Pictorial Meadows Short Annual Mix

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Late season flowering

An excitingalternative to

Bedding plants

A wonderful mix of rich tones of yellow, orangeand reds. Made from tasty recipe includingRed Flax, Painted Daisy, Black-eyed Susan,Californian Poppy

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Pictorial Meadows MarmaladeAnnual Mix

Pictorial Meadows Candy Annual MixBright sparkling colours including purples, yellows,red, white and blues producing stunning eye-candyeffects. Main Components : Purple Tansy, FairyToadflax, Poppies and Corn Marigold.

A vibrant mix with a combination of orangeand yellow with contrasting blue components.Throwing together species like Cornflower,Red and Blue Flaxs and Larkspur.

Pictorial Meadows ContrastingAnnual Mix

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A beautiful ‘strawberries &cream’ mix of white and pinkwith a later scattering of clearblue. Gently blending elementssuch as Bishops Flower, Cosmosand Shirley Poppy

Pictorial MeadowsPastel Annual Mix

Late season flowering

A fiery mix of reds with some purple anda splash of gold, giving an eruption offlowers including Red Clover, Red Flax,Purple Cornflower and Red Orache.

Pictorial Meadows VolcanicAnnual Mix

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Pictorial Meadows Native CornfieldAnnual MixA carefully selected mix of pretty native annualsthat will flower mainly in July and August. IncludesField Poppy, Cornflower, Corn Marigold, ScentlessMayweed and Corncockle.

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A colour-themed mixture of predominantly purpleand blue, with billows of white for contrast.Main species include Columbine, Greater Knapweed,Field Scabious, Wild Carrot, Hedge Bedstraw,Meadow Clary, Perennial Cornflower, PerennialFlax, Oxe-eye Daisy, Purple Loosetrife, PurpleCornflower, Prairie Aster, Joe Pye Weed.

Pictorial Meadows Purple HazePerennial Mix

Pictorial Meadows Golden SummerPerennial MixYellows and golds, with hints of orangeand purple. Contains, amongst other species,Garden Yarrow, Perennial Black-eyed Susan,Lance-leaf Coreopsis, Lady’s Bedstraw, YellowOxe-eye, St John’s Wort, Greater Knapweed,Meadow Clary.

First YearSecond Year

Pictorial Meadows Woodland EdgePerennial MixA very free-flowering mixture to sow amongstshrubs, around new tree planting and inwoodland edge situations. Includes HedgeBedstraw, Red Campion, Oxe-eye Daisy andWhite Foxglove.

Pictorial Meadows Native MeadowPerennial Mix

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A selection of very dependable native speciesthat will succeed in a wide range of soils andconditions. Includes: Oxe-eye Daisy, Lady’sBedstraw, Cowslip, Greater Knapweed, BlackKnapweed, St John’s Wort. Floweringpredominantly in June, July and August.

10 Professional Meadow Establishment ServicePictorial Meadows parent company,Green Estate Ltd, offer large scalelandscape contracting and consultingservices for meadow establishmentto Councils, Housing Associations,Schools, Friends of Parks Groups,Landlords, Large Private Gardens,and Visitor Attractions.

Where councils have introducedPictorial Meadows they have seenexceptional reduction in fly-tippingand anti-social behaviour as well aspositive community interest.

For further details of Green Estate’sservice email info@greenestate.org

11Photos sent in by Pictorial Meadows Customers to show the versatility of use.

Give the Gift of Pictorial Meadows Seed Mixes12

We have two gift products. The first is 30grams of a Pictorial Meadows Seed Mix in anattractive ‘Tub’ presentation box.

The seeds in the Gift Tubs will cover an area10 -12 sq metres.

Chose from Standard/ Short/ Marmalade/Contrasting/ Pastel or Volcanic annual mixes.

We also have a Gift Card which entitles to recipientto fixed quantity of 75 grams of one of our mostpopular Annual Mixes enough to cover a patch 25sq metres .

You buy the card from us - send it to your friend andthey select the mix they want. Your friend just ticksthe box against mix they require, fills in theiraddress details and posts it to us. We will send themthe seeds direct together with sowing instructions .

Inside blank forpersonal message

Back of card is ‘order form’

GIFT TUB GIFT CARD

Green Roofs are vegetated layers that sit ontop of the conventional roof surfaces of abuilding. They are composed of lightweightlayers of free-draining material that supportlow-growing tough drought-resistant vegetation.Because of their very wide range ofenvironmental and economic benefits , greenroofs have become important elements ofsustainable and green construction in manycounties.

Pictorial Meadows Green Roof seed mix isdesigned to provide a bio-diverse ecosystemattracting birds, bees, butterflies and beneficialinsects as well as a colourful Pictorial Meadowsdisplay.

Being seeds, they provide a very cost effectivesolution compared with sedum mats or plugplants. Both attractive and able to withstand therigours of a roof-top environment this mixcontains species such as: Chives, Oregano, BlueFlax, White Stonecrop, Tunic Flower andornamental grasses.

The suggested sowing rate is 1g persquare metre

Pictorial Meadows Green RoofPerennial Seed Mix

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Green Roof Installation and Maintenance.Green Estate Ltd, Pictorial Meadows parentcompany, offer a nationwide service forsupply and maintenance of green roofs,offering bespoke horticultural solutions tomeet the specific needs of the customer andhave experience of delivery in SSSI’s andNational Parks. For further information visitwww.greenestate.org.uk or emailinfo@greenestate.org

Pocket Habitat A Flexible unit you can use singly or butted together to createportable displays or even DIY green roofs

New

Pocket Habitat is a unique modular vegetation system designed topromote biodiversity in urban areas. Pocket Habitat can be used oncommercial and domestic roofs, terraces and balconies, on brownfieldsites set aside for future development, as a enhancement to schools andpublic places and as a solution for habitat creation on temporary sites.

Pocket Habitat is made from recycled polypropylene fibres to form asculptured, engineered habitat that is specifically designed to supportvegetation growth and variety. The pockets are then tessallated to forma mosaic of habitats which adds an aesthetic look to the space andprovides an ideal environment for biodiversity to flourish.

The Pocket Habitat has been designed to be moved as needs dictate (upto 3 years from installation). As habitat and diversity develop, PocketHabitat retains its value wherever it is. Its unique, clean and portabledesign makes it the solution for retro-fit, new build and temporarysolutions.

"Pocket Habitats providevaluable food and refuge forour declining insects such asbees and butterflies"

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1) Fill with growing mediumsuitable for the contents.Multipurpose compost is fine forPictorial Meadows annual flowermixes. Each pocket habitat willrequire approx 30 litres ofgrowing medium

2) Water the growing mediumbefore sowing. Scatter Seeds ontop and lightly pat so seeds arein contact with the growingmedium. Water weekly if itdoesn’t rain and the growingmedium starts to dry out.

3) Each unit measures approx600x850mm. Three PocketHabitats cover c1m². They canbe tied together duringinstallation to form a continuousvegetated surface. PocketHabitats on roofs should ideallybe laid over a drainage layer .

600mm

850mm

DIY Green RoofHints and Tips

Using Pictorial Meadows GreenRoof Seed mix, Pocket Habitat unitsare a simple and easy way tocreate a retro-fit DIY green roofeffect , on say, a flat roof garageor garden shed.

If you don’t have access topurpose-made green roof substrateyou can create something useableby mixing multi-purpose composewith clean crushed brick rubble. Mix2 parts rubble with 3 parts compost.

It is preferable to use an externaldrainage layer on the roof but ifyou are unable to do this line thebottom of the Pocket Habitat with alayer of gravel as a drainagelayer.

Please be careful when handling asthe units can be heavy.

Dry weight when full = c 56kg/sqm;Dry Pocket Habitats can be carriedand installed by one person .

Wet weight = c 71kg/sqm;Wet Pocket Habitats should becarried by 2 people.

15How to use Pocket Habitat

Pictorial Meadows LtdManor Oaks Farmhouse389 Manor LaneSheffield S2 1UL

Tel 0114 267 7635Fax 0114 267 7636Email: info@greenestate.orgwww.pictorialmeadows.co.uk

Frequently Asked Questions about Pictorial Meadows Mixes.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 itwill kill off the flowers.Q. Can I just scatter the flowers over existing grass tocreate 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 forannuals and 1g per square metre for perennials.

Q. Will your annual mixes self-seed? A) Only some of thespecies in the annual mixes will. To get the same effect you have to sowfresh each year.Q. Will Birds eat the seed ? A) No, they are too small for them tonotice.Q. Will Rabbits eat the flowers ? A) Yes probably they are a tastytreat 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 theresult.Q. Do I need to water the seeds if it doesn’t rain once I’vesown them ? A) There is usually enough rain eventually but ifextended drought is forecast then you could water once a weekQ Will your mixes work in shady areas? A) The mixes do needsunshine at some point during the day but the Woodland Edgeperennial mix is designed for very shaded areas.Q How long will the seed keep if I don’t use it all? A) Usually forseveral years - keep in a cool dry place.Q. Can I mix annual and perennials seeds to get a show offlowers in the first year? A)There is no need. We already includea proportion of annual seeds in each perennial mix to give a goodshow in the first year while the perennials are getting established.Q. Can I blend the mixes together? A) You can if you want butthat defeats the objective so we don’t recommend it. Each mix isdesigned to produce it’s own long-lasting show. Taller plants in onemix may hide shorter plants in another mix so you will get a bettershow if you keep them separate.

Using Pictorial MeadowsWhen you buy Pictorial Meadows seeds we send you detailedinstructions on how to sow and maintain them. If you want you canread these on our website. But in summary it is not as complicated asyou may first think and if you read the outline guide below it will giveyou an idea of what is involved.

1) You must sow onto bare soil. So you do have to get rid of anyweeds and grass first.

2) You just scatter the seeds over the ground - don’t dig them in butyou can put a roller over the area or tread over the area.

3) You should start to see growth within 6 weeks of sowing. It maylook like weeds and be patchy - but don’t worry within a short while itwill fill out.

4) Then sit back, watch and enjoy the show. You don’t need to doanything else until the end of the flowering period (Sept/Oct) - thenwhen it looks too straggly just trim it down with a strimmer and removethe cuttings.

5) If you sowed annuals then the following spring you have to re-sowagain to get the same showing

6) If you have sown perennial seeds, you don’t need to do anythingjust wait for them to start growing again in the spring. If you spot plantsthat are obvious weeds that you definitely recognise (say dandelions)you can hand remove them if you want. But if you are in doubt waituntil they flower because they could be part of the mix.