Wildflower Lawn
We have a small/medium sized back garden which previously had a standard rye lawn growing on it. – shown in picture.
The lawn was patchy and various re-seeding attempts largely failed. Back in May, I stripped the turf completely and the space is now as you see in the photo.
Very little has grown back other than the odd weed, so I think it’s been cleared pretty effectively. The area has been stripped for two months now as it has been too hot and dry to re-lay anything and I am waiting until September.
The soil is hard, clay and there are plenty of little stones and gravel, particularly at the edges where hard standing once was. The central area is better. I have removed all the largest stones and the topsoil has mostly been raked off.
That suggests to me that the soil isn’t great quality, and as I’ve become more interested in wildlife I’ve begun to think it would be nice to put in a wildflower lawn.
It isn’t a huge area. The garden faces West but the central ‘square’ area gets sunlight most of the day. Towards the back (where the hawthorns are) is more shady.
I would welcome your views on whether this is a worthwhile venture or not. The idea is to have a think mowed path along the bottom and left edges so that I can access the border on the left. Otherwise, it’s all up for grabs. We have two seating areas so don’t need the lawn to play on etc, no kids.
I am happy to invest in turf for the extra cost.
Is there anything I need to be concerned with or any further preparation required? Which mix would be best in an area of this nature?
My other half would prefer a traditional lawn, so I need this to work in a way which convinces her it isn’t an ugly mess, so a mown path and a pretty selection of wildflowers would be preferable!
Any thoughts, tips, warnings very welcome indeed. If this is unlikely to work, or you don’t think the plot suits the idea, please tell me in no uncertain terms and I will save some cash!
Thanks very much indeed!
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Would that keep both of you happy?
How about a quadrant-shaped lawn curving from the far end of the patio back towards the border on the left? The geometric shape would give a tidy/formal look, and it would leave you with a nice deep border where you could have lots of wildlife-friendly plants (wildflower mix if you like, or maybe some small shrubs or perennials).