Wildflower meadows and biodiversity

More than beautiful: why spring awakening is so important!

Spring is a true celebration of nature - the first warm rays of sunshine tickle the earth, buds sprout and wildflowers bathe the meadows in a sea of colourful blossoms. But there is much more to this colourful beauty than just a pretty sight: Wildflower meadows are essential for local biodiversity and play a crucial role in our ecosystem

In this article, you will find out why the spring awakening is so important for local biodiversity - and how you can actively contribute to protecting these valuable habitats with simple measures in your garden, on your balcony or by making conscious decisions.

Why wildflower meadows are indispensable

Wildflower meadows are small natural paradises. They provide food and habitat for numerous insects such as bees, butterflies and beetles, which in turn are responsible for the pollination of many plants. Without them, there would be less fruit, fewer seeds - and ultimately less food for us all.

But it's not just insects that benefit: Birds, small mammals and many other wild animals also find food, shelter and breeding grounds here. Unfortunately, however, these are highly endangered!

Threat from monoculture and sealing

Unfortunately, more and more wildflower meadows are disappearing. Intensive farming, land sealing and the use of pesticides are having a massive impact on biodiversity. What remains are monotonous green spaces that may look well-kept, but hardly offer any habitat for native insects and animals.

However, the preservation of these meadows is crucial for the stability of our entire ecosystem!

5 simple ways you can promote and protect wildflowers:

1. Allow diversity in your own garden:
   Deliberately create wild corners in your garden. Instead of mowing the lawn with millimetre precision, you can leave individual areas and enhance them with wildflower seeds. This will create a little paradise for bees and butterflies. And it's pretty too!
2. Sow wildflowers on the balcony:
   No large area available? No problem! Even balcony boxes or small flower pots can be planted with native wildflowers. Even a small selection of flowers can provide food for insects and contribute to greater biodiversity.
3. Buy regional & pesticide-free products:
   Many of our partner farms are committed to sustainable agriculture without pesticides. By buying products from such farms, you support farming that preserves habitats for wildflowers and their inhabitants.
4. Consciously travelling:
   When you are out and about on our pitches or in the countryside, take care not to tread on sensitive areas. Wildflower meadows are sensitive - once trampled on, plants take a long time to recover.
5. Participate in local initiatives:
   Many municipalities are campaigning for more flowering areas. Perhaps there are also projects in your region that you can help with? Whether by planting flower strips or disseminating information - every support counts!

What you should look out for in wildflowers

It is not enough to have flowers to make our gardens insect-friendly. There should also be lots of native flowering plants, as many wild insects are adapted to specific plants.

90 per cent of our native insects are highly specialised - in the course of evolution, their mouthparts have adapted to certain types of leaves, their stomachs to the antibodies of certain plants and their life cycle to certain flowering times.

Although exotic flowering plants can provide nectar, they do not help the larvae of many insects. They are often too hard, too late or contain substances that our native species cannot utilise.

If you want to create an insect-friendly garden, you should therefore use as many native flowering plants as possible.

These native wildflowers are particularly valuable:

• Daisies
• Common viper's bugloss
• Common yarrow
• Horn clover
• Coltsfoot
• St John's Wort
• Corn poppy
• Cornflower
• Meadow knapweed
• Meadow ragwort
• Meadowfoam
• Wild mallow

Experience spring consciously - for a flourishing future

The awakening of spring is a magical moment when nature unleashes its full power. By protecting and promoting wildflower meadows, you are actively helping to preserve this wonder.

Enjoy the blaze of colour, listen to the buzzing of the bees and become part of sustainable change yourself - because every flower counts.

Tip:

Many of our partner farms consciously maintain natural meadows. Discover their location directly on our interactive map.