Wildflower plants for woodland edge

carole.stewart52

I am hoping to create a small wildflower area at edge of woodland. To start by clearing grass and seeding with rattle. once established can you suggest perennial plants? How can I deter squirrels and encourage insects eg ladybirds? Carole S

Blue Onion

Foxgloves?  Biannual, but happy to self-seed around.  English bluebells?  

Posy

Bluebells essential, and if I can spell it, anemones, the little white ones. In woodland near us we see a lot of stitchwort and the nightshades.

Owlbear

I don't think there is much you can do to deter squirrels.

As far as wildflowers for woodland edges, Foxgloves and Bluebells as Blue Onion and Posy suggested, though Bluebells will spread prolifically.

I'd also add Daffodils and one or two of Primrose, Cowslip or Oxlip (Primula Vulgaris, Veris, Elatior)

Also depending on how 'weedy' you are willing to tolerate and how large your 'small' patch is some of these might interest you, being wildflowers that grow in woodland/woodland edges but do investigate further as to whether they might seed or creep around too much for the area you have in mind:

Columbine/Granny's Bonnet (Aquilegia vulgaris)
Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa)
Red Campion (Silene dioica)
Nettle-leaved Bellflower (Campanula trachelium)
Lesser (Stellaria graminea) or Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea) 
Violas.
Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys) 
Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
Nipplewort (Lapsana communis) 

Loxley

This list has some ideas (and ordering plugs would give you a head start) - https://www.naturescape.co.uk/product/n10-woodland-plant-collection/

If the site is south facing it would be worth trying other perennial wildflowers though; mulleins, toadflax, agrimony, knapweed etd.

Ferdinand2000

Self-builders I know seem to do well with wildflower mixes. 

I suspect that one key is at least some soil prep.

There are some examples, amongst other things, on this thread.
https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/6532-how-is-the-garden-doing-this-year/

One suggestion is to use a mix everywhere, then some special plants as plugs.