Fill your garden with corncockle and other wildflowers to fill your garden with bees. Your garden will be the buzz of the whole neighbourhood!
The rest of the article will inform you on all aspects of the corncockle wildflower: what, where, when, and how Corncockle will benefit your bee-friendly garden.
What is Corncockle?
Corncockle, or Agrostemma Githago, is a wildflower with beautiful pink and purple petals. The flowers are about five centimetres in diameter at full size. The corncockle plant will grow to about .6 meters in both width and height.
Though you can find corncockle throughout temperate locations in the world, it has become quite rare in the UK. Because of aggressive preventative measures against this plant for agricultural practices, you will find this wildflower in bee filled gardens more often than in the wild.
All parts of corncockle plants, the seeds, petals, and stem, are poisonous if eaten. However, many other plants you will find in a garden are just as poisonous. Corncockle has no greater risk than the daffodils, ivy, and foxgloves in your garden.
How do I grow Corncockle?
Since corncockle is a wildflower, it will do well without human intervention. Once planted, corncockle will take care of itself as long as your garden has proper drainage. Water your corncockle well, but it does not like boggy soil.
When do I sow Corncockle seeds?
Sow corncockle seeds directly in spring with full sun exposure. Alternatively, you can start the corncockle indoors. Begin them at least six weeks before the date of the last frost.
If your plants struggle to find root, consider applying a light layer of mulch around your corncockle to combat against competitive weeds. Consider also keeping only the healthiest plants as you thin them out in 30-centimetre intervals.
When does Corncockle flower?
Corncockle will show off its beautiful pink, magenta, and purple flowers mainly from June to August. Consider deadheading the spent flowers to prolong the flowering period. Extra care and forgiving weather can extend the flowering period from May to September.
Why is Corncockle good for bees?
Corncockle is great for bees and other pollinators, along with many kinds of wildflowers, because it is a single flower pollinating plant. Gardens with double-flowering plants like roses or carnations are not bee-friendly due to the difficulty the insect has in reaching the pollen.
In addition to planting the right kinds of flowers and trees, you should make sure to not use harsh pesticides and insecticides, especially not directly on flowers. You should also consider bee hotels and bee bombs.
A bee hotel is a place for solitary bees to nest in your garden. They create an environment for bees to exist and reproduce close to home. Bee bombs are collections of wildflower seeds within a clump of clay. They are perfect for gardeners who fear the weakness of their green thumb.
There are over 250 known species of bees in the UK. However, your garden will primarily attract bees within larger subcategories: bumblebees, solitary bees and honeybees.
Where can I buy Corncockle seeds?
Any good garden centre or you can buy seeds online from the Crocus website, you can get approx 90 seeds, shipped within 1-2 working days. They also have a significant range of fantastic bee-friendly plants, pots and containers. Along with all the tools and equipment you’ll need to complete any gardening task.
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