Wild Flower Meadow

D0rdogne_Damsel

I am thinking ahead for next year and have a small patch of grass at the entrance to the driveway(see below) that I would like to turn into a little wildflower patch, particularly poppies and cornflowers and other pretty flowers.

It does open onto open farmland and already the grass has a mixture of some wild grasses in it anyway so it couldn't be called a lawn.

Anyway, what would I need to do to make the transformation, I have seen sacks of wildflower seeds in my local garden centre but what about ground preparation, when and how? 

 

Thank you for any advice and guidance. 

pansyface

After a lot of messing about and trying to cut corners I found that it is best to bite the bullet and dig the whole lot over and then reseed with a grass and flower seed mix. I tried digging little patches and putting the flower seeds in them but the established grass just took all the light and water before the flowers could grow big enough to compete.

nutcutlet

Hi DD The first thing is to decide what sort of meadow you want. The poppy/cornflower/bright colour mixes are not those that grow in a grass meadow. They need cultivated soil, they naturally grew in fields with crops before herbicides were invented.

 

 

D0rdogne_Damsel

I was rather hoping for poppies and cornflowers mixed in with some grasses. 

nutcutlet

They'll do nicely with annual grasses but not so well in established grassland

You could scrape some patches in the grass, sow, and see what happens. Might be good

chicky

Do you watch Beechgrove DD?  They have had some spectacular results with annual wild flower mixes sown on cleared ground this April - i'm sure their website will have details.  As Nut says though, they started with a bare patch of prepared soil.

chicky

http://www.beechgrove.co.uk/factsheets

Here you go - details on page 4 of the 13th August factsheet

Dave Morgan

Having created wildflower beds and meadows for clients, I've found the best way so far is clearing the ground in early spring with weed killer. After a week the weeds will have absorbed the weedkiller and I dig it over as preparing for a new lawn. Rake to a fine tilthe and then sow your preferred seed mix. Lightly raking the seed into the soil. A good watering and then let it get on with it.

 

 This was done in a prepared bed and is still in flower now. It has already self seeded and will be cut in a few weeks time.

nutcutlet

Nice one Dave

D0rdogne_Damsel

Thank you all, that does look rather lovely Dave, will spend the winter now building up my muscles ready to clear the ground. 

Fishy65

DD - try corn cockle too (agrostemma githago). I've found it one of the most reliable of the cornfield annuals 

What a gorgeous display Dave!!