An online garden centre has become the first in the UK to offer weeds for sale thanks to a new craze for wildflowers.

Gardeningexpress.co.uk says sales of dandelions, buttercups and even £7.99 stinging nettles have exceeded expectations since they were introduced last month.

The site introduced the plants – viewed by many gardeners as pests – following requests from customers.

Wildflowers are great at attracting insects and with the recent fall in the numbers of bees it seems some gardeners are actively seeking to encourage them.

Now the site is offering gardeners who aren’t able to cultivate wildflowers naturally a solution with dandelions priced at £3.99 each and buttercups at £5.99.

Even stinging nettles – hated by children across the country – are available for sale priced at a bargain £7.99 each.

The nettles are particularly successful at attracting caterpillars – thus sparing other plants from being munched.

In fact, the stinging nettles have proven to be so popular, initial supplies have sold out and due to the exceptionally high demand, the plant is now on pre-order only.

The company’s website state: “After many demands from customers, we've now added this selection of wild flowers to our range, some call them weeds, but we don't want to hurt their feelings, after all a weed is only a plant in the wrong place, much like finding a tulip in a salad.”

Chris Bonnet of Gardeningexpress.co.uk said: “It may seem strange to some but many gardeners have a growing appreciation for wildflowers.

“While plants such as buttercups and dandelions may seem like pests when they crop up in the middle of a lawn if they are cultivated in a flower bed they can look beautiful and really enhance a garden.

“Yet while many gardeners do have an appreciation of the beauty of wildflowers it seems most of us aren’t able to proactively cultivate them.

“That combined with a wish to attract more bees into gardens has meant that we were increasingly being asked if we could sell dandelions and even nettles which are formidable caterpillar attracters.

“So we agreed to introduce a line this summer and the demand has been astounding. We are already sold out of dandelions and we are having to clear extra space in our nursery so we can grow more.”

One customer, who placed an order for 20 dandelions, said: “Wildflowers are amazingly beautiful. My dandelion bed is an explosion of the most vivid yellow, it really is stunning.

“It’s always busy with honeybees which is another huge plus. With bee numbers down we gardeners should be doing our bit to help.

“But it’s also a fantastic talking point. Visitors always ask what it is and they seem taken aback when I explain it’s dandelions.

“Like any gardener I pull them up if they sprout in the lawn but I didn’t have a clue how to encourage them to cluster together in a bed to give the effect I was looking for. So I was very happy to find them for sale on Gardening Express.”

A link to the weeds page can be found here: http://www.gardeningexpress.co.uk/weeds