The Flowers of Tithe Green Natural Burial

There are so many things that set our natural burial grounds apart from traditional graveyards and cemeteries, but what most people immediately notice is how much easier on the eye they are.

Partly, of course, that’s down to the absence of the standing headstones that tend to dominate those other places – but people don’t usually drink in the absence of things.

What makes them really appreciate our sites are the beautiful things to be seen there, not least of which are the stunning wildflowers that can be found in our meadows.

We’re often asked about these flowers – sometimes what the names of them are, of which more shortly. We’re also asked how they get there and whether visitors are allowed to add more.

The great news is that you are always welcome to spread wildflower seeds and bulbs – but there are a few rules you need to follow, because we take the ecology of our sites very seriously and don’t want to have species brought in that don’t belong or that might upset the delicate balance.

So, the first thing we specify is that all plants and flowers should be native to the UK. They should also be the sort of plants that are typically to be found in woodland habitats – not garden plants or shrubs.

We understand that this is quite specialised knowledge, so we’ve listed some choices below that are not only native but will also flourish in our sandy soil.

Alternatively, our packets of wildflower bulbs and our wildflower seed balls have been specially put together to produce just the kind of flowers we want to see and are available to order online now.

These are best used in spring or autumn when the ground is likely to be wet or damp, so if you do get them in summer or winter, do try and be patient if you want them to thrive.

One more thing to ask: we like our sites to grow and look as natural as possible, so please try not to actively garden, just let everything do what it wants to do without any intervention.

Wildflowers planted at Tithe Green

These are some of our favourite wildflowers that can be grown at our sites:

• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) – with its tiny pink or white flowers, yarrow is often found in meadows, pastures and by roadsides, and has historically been used as a digestive aid and for healing wounds.
• Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra) – this isn’t just a beautiful plant with spiny, purple flower heads, it’s also a fantastic food source for the pollinators that help our sites continue to enchant our visitors.
• Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) – not only does wild carrot help make our sites stunning to look at, but they’re also – like their cultivated colleagues – edible and especially good for making carrot cake!
• Hoary Plantain (Plantago media) – traditionally used for medicinal purposes, hoary plantain is – somewhat ironically – often found in churchyards and, while widespread throughout England, is particularly common in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Other good choices include:

• Rough Hawkbit (Leontodon hispidus)
• Common Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria)
• Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
• Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria)
• Common Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)
• Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
• Musk Mallow (Malva moschata)
• Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare)
• Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
• Lady's Bedstraw (Galium verum)
• Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis)
• Cowslip (Primula veris)
• Self Heal (Prunella vulgaris)
• Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris)
• Bulbous Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus)
• Weld (Reseda luteola)
• Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor)
• Bladder Campion (Silene vulgaris)

Bulbs and flowers planted at Tithe Green

• English Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) – who doesn’t love bluebells? Unless they bloom early and you’re one of those people who think that this means that there’s going to be a cold summer.
• Winter Aconite (Eranthis cilicica) – as the name suggests, this flower brings colour to our sites in late winter, making it a good source of pollen and nectar for those pollinators that emerge early in the year. There is a myth which says that it only grows where the blood of Roman soldiers was spilled.
• Snakes Head Fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) – the beautiful bell-shaped flowers showing pinks, purples and whites are not only impossible to mistake, but also utterly gorgeous. It’s such a shame that they are not as common as they used to be, so we’re always delighted when they appear at our sites.

Other good choices include:

• Common Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum)
• Grape Hyacinth (Muscari neglectum)
• Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)
• Wood Anemone (Anemone blanda)
• Wild Daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus)
• Wild Cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium)

Our sites are also home to native British trees – you can discover more about them by reading our earlier blog on the subject.

If you’d like to know more about the flowers to be found at Tithe Green Natural Burial’s sites at Oxton in Nottinghamshire, Ketton in Rutland and Markfield in Leicestershire, or discover the many benefits of natural burial, please feel free to get in touch.