Planting Herbs in Field?

SaffronWelshDragon

SaffronWelshDragon

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Hi everyone!

My field has a lovely selection of plants along with the grass, including patches of thistles, nettles, dandilions etc. which my ponies love to browse and eat whenever they fancy. I think this is important. Anyway, was thinking of adding a few more beneficial herbs to the collection. Any suggestions? Comfrey is tempting as I was going to buy some for the garden, so could have a few left over for the field - however I've heard too much of this isn't good?

Thanks all!
 
I would just buy a seed mix and plant it that way. You'd be best fencing off an area and scarifying/scraping it to open up the grass sward for new ones. Either that or pot grow some and slot seed by hand.

These mixes seem good - depends on your soil type a little

http://wildseed.co.uk/mixtures/category/meadow-and-grassland

The basic mix is pretty good although you might want to ask if you can get one with no buttercups in!

http://wildseed.co.uk/mixtures/view/4

Or if you have some bare ground you want seeding, these things are great for getting stuff started (not for profit organisation run by some friends)

http://www.seedball.co.uk/

We have a section of our field on a steep bit fenced off for the OHs mountain bike jumps, and next year I am going to buy some seed and plant some interesting stuff in. We already have lots of grasses (yorkshire fog, cocksfoots, meadow grasses etc) and wildflowers (birds foot trefoil, buttercups, selfheal, daisies, clover) but I want some yellow rattle, loosestrife, mint, camomile and knapweed. Although I'm being lazy with research atm and I'm not sure if they'd all grow on our land :p
 
Thanks! Mint and Camomile looks nice :) Will look at some of those Stencilface, though I'm lucky having hardly any buttercups so definitely don't want to start that! Might have a stab at growing Hawthorn from seed then planting it out, as we have no natural shelter (realise it would take years to grow a hedgerow but I can at least try!) Ebay is my friend currently - I love gardening anyway so if I can start things off in pots in my garden then plant them out I'll be very happy :)
 
Depending on how much hawthorn you want/need buying whips with a cane and protector is not that expensive, and should get you a decent ish wind barrier in about 4 years or so if you manage to keep the nags from eating all the nice fresh shoots. We planted about 100m +_ of hawthorn down the centre hill of our field and I'm hoping in a few years it will be a decent barrier. We've put in field maple (v pretty in autumn) and blackthorn (for the sloes ;) ) too :)

This is who we buy from, local to us (not to you) but they deliver and are pretty helpful if you ring them :)

http://www.nurserymen.co.uk/trade/amenity_sales/introduction
 
Just had a mooch round the field and found camomile growing :-) (the big daisy-like) and poss comfrey just outside the field by the river. Need to double check so brought some home (Moo ate my first sample and tried to steal the second!)
 
Word of caution - I have hawthorn hedges on 3 sides and my local farmer informed me that flies are attracted to hawthorn! Seed balls look interesting for the garden but not sure I would want to introduce some of those plants to pasture.
 
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