Leading conservation and wildflower seed specialists Bright Seeds have seen a noticeable increase in the demand for locally sourced wildflower seed for habitat creation or restorations projects.
Bright Seeds, a leading seed merchant based in Wiltshire, produce a range of harvested wildflower mixtures, sourced from established meadows from across the Wessex region.
Following 30 years in the sector, Brights’ supply quality seed for species-rich grassland habitats that can assist landscaping, conservation projects, biodiversity net gain and urban projects.
“Using wildflower seed that has been sourced locally provides a number of benefits over your generic native wildflower seed mixtures. The seed is better adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, and helps to promote a higher success rate when supporting native and local wildlife and biodiversity,” says Megan Townley, wildflower development manager at Bright Seeds.
“There is still some confusion around native wildflower seed vs locally sourced wildflower seed. Now, native seed is still essential, especially when we consider that non-native wildflower species still outnumber native species across the UK. But by sourcing seed from local sites, we’re getting all the benefits of native seed, plus extra benefits that we previously listed,” said Megan.
Bright Seeds are also one of only a handful of UK based companies that have the ability and expertise to harvest wildflower seed from established meadows, rather than gathering single species from across the country that are then blended together.
They have developed a portfolio of donor sites which are harvested in rotation consisting of a variety of habitat and soil types. Each site is sustainably harvested using plot combines, with the collections dried and cleaned to produce a ready to sow wildflower mix. Through the use of combines, the technique increases the seed return to the field – further benefitting the sites’ biodiversity and making the entire process fully sustainable.
“This portfolio enables us to match sites with customers on a geographical basis to guarantee local provenance – meaning we can provide information on exactly where the original seed came from. Our harvested mixes also have a higher wildflower to grass content when compared to a typical 80/20 mix, which means our customers get more wildflowers for their money”, stated Megan.
To learn more about Bright Seeds’ locally sourced wildflower seed, please contact Megan Townley on 07545 651 759, or email megan@brightseeds.co.uk
One of few suppliers who can supply local seed commercially! Wildflower seed harvest commercially. We’re produced mix!
