Participate again in Indigenous Sowing Week!

During Native Sowing Week (September 22nd to 28th), we'll all be sowing as many native plants as possible in our gardens, on balconies, and on roofs. Native plants are essential for our natural environment. Read below to learn more about their importance, and we'll explain how the campaign works and the best way to sow the seeds.

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Native plants are plants that naturally occur here. They are incredibly important for wild bees , butterflies , and many other insects that also naturally occur here; they are perfectly harmonized with each other. Moreover, many of these plants are beautiful to behold!

Without native plants, many of "our" pollinators and other insects cannot survive and are used as host plants. Conversely, native plants cannot reproduce without "their" insects. Native plants are also a good food source for many animals, such as insects and birds . Therefore, it's essential and important that we help increase biodiversity, including in our gardens.

You don't need a large garden to participate; even a small area with native plants can help a lot of animals. You can create a flower meadow , a small area of ​​a square meter, or sow seeds on roofs and balconies, and in pots!

Note: If you're a subscriber, you'll receive seeds in your goodie bag with early access to the Craft Plant Market , or you can pick them up at the Gardeners' World magazine reading corner.

When you're ready to sow your flower seeds, watch this video in which Jasper Helmantel of Cruydt-Hoeck shows you the best way to do it. If possible, sow during Indigenous Sowing Week, which is the best time. Can't make it? You can easily sow until November for a beautiful result next year.

Follow the steps below to sow your native flowers.

Before sowing, clear the soil of unwanted plants and weeds. Rake the soil finely so that even the smallest seeds can germinate.
Prolonged wet or dry, hot periods are not favorable sowing times. It's best to wait until the weather improves.
Generally, you should not sow the seeds deeper than the thickness of the seed and scatter them over the prepared area. You can mix the seeds with some white sand, which makes them easier to spread and allows you to see where you've already sown.
Keep the seeds moist, but not too wet. If there's little rain, water them.
After germination, remove any developing grasses from the sowing field.
Not all seeds germinate immediately. They wait for the right natural conditions. Trust that nature knows what it's doing!

Local nature in your neighborhood is well-coordinated, and sowing flower mixtures there or on the edge of it can unfortunately hinder biodiversity. So always sow the seeds in your garden; they'll make a big difference!

Tip!

Are you participating this year? Share your sowing experiences (or results from previous years) on Instagram or Facebook and tag us!