Wildflower Meadow Puzzle

Walsh.eoin.p

Hi all, 

I've just planted about 1/2 acre of a wildflower mix in the southwest coast of Ireland... http://www.wildflowers.ie/mixes/mm/mm06.htm
and I've already encountered a conundrum that I need assistance with.

I intend to manage weeds etc by either manual or mechanical means but already it seems that I may have a 'highly populated' substrate. The trouble is I can't recognise the weeds from the lush mix I have planted. 

I have even prepared a little booklet for myself to identify the approximately 30 varieties in the wildflower mix but this doesn't help with seedlings. I'm also sure that there is a very wide range of other species in the ground that might also be acceptable. 

So, if I post pics could you help me understand if the mystery seedlings are;

• Part of the mix above
• Not part of the mix but desirable to keep
• Or, a weed that needs to be removed urgently. 

I think this might be fun with some unusual species. 

Eoin

B3

This is a thread I started a couple of years ago .It might help a bit 
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/comment/1698752/

Walsh.eoin.p

I thought I'd start with this little fella...

Walsh.eoin.p

About the size of a small jam jar lid, it caught my eye this morning. 

Any Ideas what it might be?

Walsh.eoin.p

Thank you B3, that's an excellent place for me to start. 

I'm a gardening 'noob' so all education appreciated. 

Eoin

Walsh.eoin.p

A little bit of colour this time. This one is popping up all over the plot. 

Walsh.eoin.p

A little background to help, 

The pics are taken today (8th March) and the ground is very wet from heavy rain. 
The top soil is a rich black type, giving me a PH neutral when tested and has not been heavily farmed before I moved in. 

I have removed as much topsoil as possible to suit the wildflower mix. The clay (and topsoil) that remains is not particularly heavy and sits on a shale, south facing hillside.

Drainage is reasonably good with a sandy layer about 700mm below the surface. 

Eoin

Dovefromabove

Hi 
No idea about the first pic ... is it one plant or a clump of seedlings?

The second pic is Lamium purpureum aka Red Deadnettle, an annual of the Lamium family ...bumble  bees love the little mauve flowers. 

Walsh.eoin.p

I take it thats a keeper so?

It's not part of the wildflower mix brought in - see below. 

Eoin

Species List: 

Annuals 15%, Biennials 12.5%, Perennials 72.5%, 
Birdsfoot Trefoil.  Corn Marigold, Corncockle, Cowslip, Devils Bit Scabious, Eyebright, Meadow Buttercup, Fleabane, Greater Trefoil, Marsh Marigold, Marsh Cinquefoil, Lesser Knapweed,  Scented Mayweed, Meadowsweet, Ox-eye Daisy, Purple Loosestrife, Ragged Robin, Red Bartsia, Red Campion, Red Clover, Ribwort Plantain, Selfheal, Sorrel, Water Avens, Wild Angelica, Yarrow, Yellow Flag Iris, Yellow Rattle.. Woundwort, 0.5% Molinia

treehugger80

all plants are wildflowers originally, just some are not in the mix you bought, to be honest the only ones i'd be removing are nettle, rosebay willowherb, dock, bindweed and ragwort and let the rest grow.

did you add a wildflower meadow grass mix into the stuff you put down? as a wildflower meadow is about 60% grass of certain species, like common bent, slender-creeping red fescue and small cat's tail. Just sowing 'wildflowers' might give large gaps that unwanted species (like couch grass) could set up home in.

also your mix is a bit off?? you have dry land species like corn marigold and knapweed and marsh plants like iris, marsh marigold and purple loosestrife (which is a thug- just to warn you) you might find some species will not grow, on ground that dries out too much

Walsh.eoin.p

Treehugger80, 
I didn't add anything to the mix and I suspect you are right. There is still some grass growing though. I must identify it. 

Is the Molinia a grass?

The seed was planted last September/October so this is the first season. 

Eoin