Oxford Urban Wildlife Group

Oxford Urban Wildlife Group

Oxford Urban Wildlife Group was formed in 1988 and has played a significant role in attracting and conserving wildlife in Oxford. Some of the achievements include converting disused allotments in East Oxford into a Nature Park. This was launched in 1990 and in 1991 won a coveted OSCA award. Other awards followed and the park is now open to school groups, leisure groups and many local people who drop in on open days.

From the beginning we held walks and talks on a wide variety of topics and later produced a booklet: 'Discovering Oxford's Green Places'.

Seeds for Sale

Oxford Urban Wildlife Group has been selling seeds and plants of native origin for 20 years. They are sold both to raise funds for the Group and to encourage more people to use plants in their gardens which, as well as being attractive in their own right, are also beneficial to wildlife.

In the past we have sold only from our stall - at Open Days at Boundary Brook Nature Park, and ‘green’ events around Oxford City. But as the stall has now been packed away until next Spring we are hoping to sell some of this year’s surplus seeds from the OUWG Website.

Seeds which are currently available are listed below. The seed cards carry full cultivation notes. Wildflower seeds can be annoyingly perverse in the time they take to germinate. Poppies, in particular, may germinate over a period of years.

Picture of Yellow Rattle.

Many of the seeds listed (and sometimes the resulting plants) are poisonous if eaten in quantities so it is probably safer to warn children never to eat any seeds or plants with which they are not familiar.

The seed cards make attractive gifts - popped into a birthday or Christmas card. If you ar e posting a seed card check which postage rate it falls into. Some of the larger seeds (Everlasting Pea for instance) may need the ‘Large Letter’ postage rate. The seeds cards cost 50p plus 50p p&p for up to 3 cards per envelope.

Please send a cheque made out to Oxford Urban Wildlife Group or stamps to the required amount to: Pat Hartridge, 49 Old Road, Wheatley, OX33 1NX

Current seed list:

A=Annual; B=Biennial (flowers in its second year then dies); P=Perennial.

  • Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris) P 70cm May-June sun/partial shade
  • Corncockle (Agrostemma githago) A 1m June-Aug full sun
  • Cowslip (Primula veris) P 30cm Apr-May sunny site
  • Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) B 80cm June-Sept sun/poor soil
  • Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus latifolia) P to 2m June-Aug needs support
  • Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) B 40-90cm June-Jy sun/partial shade
  • Greater Knapweed (Centauria scabiosa) P 80cm July-Sept slow germination
  • Hollyhock (Alcea rocea) P 1-2m Aug-Oct sunny site Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascene) A 40-60cm June-Aug sunny site
  • Marigold (Calendula) A 25cm all summer full sun
  • Musk Mallow (Malva moschata) P 70cm June-Aug sun/partial shade Musk Mallow (White) (Malva moschata alba ) P 30cm June-Aug sun/partial shade
  • Poppy (Papaver rhoeas) A 50cm May-Aug sunny site
  • Purple Toadflax (Linaria purpurea) P 80cm June-Aug sunny site
  • Red Campion (Silene dioica) P 80cm May-Oct Shady site Scabious (Knautia arvensis) P 80cm June-Oct sunny site
  • Welsh Poppy (Meconopsis cambrica) P 50cm June-Aug sun/partial shade
  • Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor) A 40cm May-Aug in grass/meadow