Cafolla has made it his calling to promote awareness of the many species of untamed native Irish plants currently under threat from modern agricultural practices. Some species have already been lost, and in a country that was once carpeted with vast natural wildflower meadows, such habitats are now a rarity.
“Out of 851 native species of trees, shrubs and plants, half a dozen are gone forever, another 30 are facing extinction and a further 100 or so are on the endangered list,” he says.
Extinct Irish species include the autumn crocus and the blue cornflower. Cornfield annuals, species which grow in and around arable farms, are most at risk.
But there is hope. The work of Cafolla and others like him has helped save about five species so far. As part of his job, Cafolla advises farmers on how best they can help with the preservation of natural meadowlands.
He provides local authorities around the country with planted roadside margins and runs a nursery in Co Carlow called Design By Nature, where he cultivates a range of native wild species.
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Domestic gardeners are playing a role, too. There has been a recent vogue for creating wildflower gardens and setting aside cultivated areas to grow our native plants.
Gardeners can make a big impact when it comes to preserving wild species of plants, which will also encourage wildlife.
But when you take over a new garden, you will be faced with a number of challenges. Cafolla believes that the first step is to convince yourself that those challenges must be faced in a low- maintenance, wildlife-friendly way.
From now through to late September is a sowing window for wild flowers, and Cafolla has plenty of advice for the would-be meadow gardener.
The first step is to find out as much as possible about your garden.
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“Ask the builder or the local gardeners about the area. Are you in a sunny place? Does the soil dry out in summer? Is the site windy? Find out the names of the plants that are growing in the garden, in the locality and, most importantly, find out the names of the plants that grow best in your region. Have a look and see what’s in your neighbours’ gardens.
“The amount of maintenance you are prepared to put into your garden over the years should now be decided on. Wildlife gardeners tend to prefer mixtures and species that require one cut a year.”
I was curious to find out what wildflowers he would recommend. He says: “The truth is that every day I have a new favourite, depending on which species we’re harvesting or planting. Usually we think of crops, meadows and ecologies, and individual species are only a part of that. When I think of foxgloves, I think of hedgerows and bumblebees.”
Here Cafolla recommends his five favourite species at the moment:
Field scabious — Knautia arvensis: scabious grows in many different situations in Ireland but usually prefers dry conditions. Readers may be familiar with cultivated forms of this popular herbaceous perennial, but for me, little comes close to the often large, wild drifts of sky blue and maroon field scabious. Butterflies love this species. Scabious is easy to grow from seed and flowers usually in its third year after sowing.
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Corn marigold — Chrysanthemum segetum: the corn marigold is a wild annual that is now nearly extinct. Due to current farming practices and the war on weeds waged by agri-business, this species has struggled for existence. Luckily the tide has turned and there is enough of it about to allow for a comeback. In great densities it is a pest of an annual weed, but is easily eliminated with cultivation. Through my nursery I have re-introduced this species from the last Irish sources. You will see it in a meadow and it will attract many finches and hoverflies.
Lady’s bedstraw — Galium verum: lady’s bedstraw is an excellent spreading ground-cover species and if your soil is light, dry or well-drained, this is another of the great wildflowers that can be used in horticulture. Our plants are planted from seed and we have inland and seaside strains to help you get it right. It is found mainly in grazed or ungrazed limey grasslands, or newly stabilised sand dunes and sea cliffs. However, wherever the soil drains, flowering species can survive.
Meadowsweet — Filipendula ulmaria: A tall honey-scented “slow to grow from seed” but vigorous flowering perennial of moist and wet soils. Meadowsweet is ideally suited to Ireland’s conditions and one of the best meadow flowers, being cuttable to keep short and requiring no work. As far as management goes, always cut every other wildflower species in a meadowsweet meadow every year, but meadowsweet itself does not need cutting for up to five years.
Eyebright — Euphrasia artica: This is a difficult species to establish. If you get it growing, you have one of the very best and most beautiful flowers of the countryside. We think every lawn should have this weed as, like other hemiparasite species, it restricts the growth of grass, essential in any wildflower meadow.
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If you are considering creating a wildflower meadow or just adding some wildflowers to your garden, for advice and help contact Sandro Cafolla at Design By Nature, 056 444 2526, www.allgowild.com .
Dermot O'Neill's articles are archived on his website, www.dermotoneill.com