If you choose to dig it over go easy on the grass seeds, grasses will always find their way to bare ground. I've just removed a very large of soil from the top of my garden, it's only been a week and I've already got grass coming through!
Just a thought but what about leaving the grass uncut fit a few months and see what comes through? I've done this and I've quite an array of flowers coming through, I've even two elder tree because of this.. - food for thought
Dave, That looks really nice. I love the mix and colours that you have.
I've got mine more as a perennial meadow and initially planted onto bare soil just roughly rotovated. More or less as said. Except I didn't use weedkillers. Rather I just got the surface grass and weeds dug off. I do have some annuals that have self seeded. Our farm is in the HLS scheme so we've got excellent diversity and plenty of free plants.
I've got convolvulus, campion, cranesbill, periwinkle, field scabious, yarrow, ox eye daisy, musk mallow, cowslip as well as poppies and cornflower
I just wanted to air a word of caution about some of the "mixed wildflower seeds" that I've seen for sale. Partcularly if you're next to farm land where there's stock. I've actually seen packets that have ragwort in - a controlled weed that is covered by a Code of Practice and which is to be removed. It's highly toxic to grazing animals but particularly to horses and cattle. It's a cumulative poison and it kills them and it's not a nice death either! Likewise careful there's no buttercups. Again a cumulative toxin and no where near as bad as ragwort but your neighbouring farmer will not thank you at all if he has stock and sees those next door.
Thank you all, lots of ideas and some good advice. Been walking this morning through a neighbouring field and admiring some beautiful flowers, just growing quite naturally on their own, hopefully some seeds will blow my way.
"To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul." — Alfred Austin
Planted my wildflower patch a couple of months ago. The area is part-shaded and the soil rich and loamy so I had to carefully select seeds of flowers that like these conditions. Lots to choose from on eBay. Hopeful for a splash of colour next year.
Hello all, I just joined the forum and I sowed a wildflower meadow last April and really pleased with it. I bought the seed from The Grass Seed Company, their basic wild flower meadow mix. Annuals flowered this year; corn flowers, corn cockles, corn marigolds, poppies and mayweed mostly. I expect it will be quite different next year with the perennials coming into their own. Here are some pictures.
Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
start with bare ground, there is no point in sowing onto grass, the seeds simply will not grow.
decide if you want an annual mix (poppies, corn flowers etc.) or a perennial mix (ox- eye daisies, greater knapweed etc.)
In both cases sow now onto bare earth, that way the plants can get established before winter comes.
for annuals sow now, don't cut till late August, leave cuttings on the soil for a couple of days (must be dry days) remove cuttings early or after wet weather and seeds don't fall to the ground. Then disturb the ground, best way I've found its with a tilling machine that only breaks up the top couple of inches.
for perennials pick a mix low in grass seed (you want flowers not grass and grass will make its way in soon enough!) sow the mix now, give them a mow in October and again in February on a fairly high cut, then cut down in August and leave cuttings as above, once removed you can cut with a mower for the rest of the year, the advantage of perennial wildflower meadows is you can under plant with bulbs for spring colour.
For the last four years we have left a large section of the lawn uncut until late July August, many wild flowers have appeared, including purple spotted leafed orchids, the piece of ground was meadow before we cultivated it in 1992, so the seed already there lay dormant for quite some time, gives a lot of pleasure.
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Thank you Fishy, they look very pretty.
If you choose to dig it over go easy on the grass seeds, grasses will always find their way to bare ground. I've just removed a very large of soil from the top of my garden, it's only been a week and I've already got grass coming through!
Just a thought but what about leaving the grass uncut fit a few months and see what comes through? I've done this and I've quite an array of flowers coming through, I've even two elder tree because of this.. - food for thought
*very large mound
Dave, That looks really nice. I love the mix and colours that you have.
I've got mine more as a perennial meadow and initially planted onto bare soil just roughly rotovated. More or less as said. Except I didn't use weedkillers. Rather I just got the surface grass and weeds dug off. I do have some annuals that have self seeded. Our farm is in the HLS scheme so we've got excellent diversity and plenty of free plants.
I've got convolvulus, campion, cranesbill, periwinkle, field scabious, yarrow, ox eye daisy, musk mallow, cowslip as well as poppies and cornflower
I just wanted to air a word of caution about some of the "mixed wildflower seeds" that I've seen for sale. Partcularly if you're next to farm land where there's stock. I've actually seen packets that have ragwort in - a controlled weed that is covered by a Code of Practice and which is to be removed. It's highly toxic to grazing animals but particularly to horses and cattle. It's a cumulative poison and it kills them and it's not a nice death either! Likewise careful there's no buttercups. Again a cumulative toxin and no where near as bad as ragwort but your neighbouring farmer will not thank you at all if he has stock and sees those next door.
Thank you all, lots of ideas and some good advice. Been walking this morning through a neighbouring field and admiring some beautiful flowers, just growing quite naturally on their own, hopefully some seeds will blow my way.
Planted my wildflower patch a couple of months ago. The area is part-shaded and the soil rich and loamy so I had to carefully select seeds of flowers that like these conditions. Lots to choose from on eBay. Hopeful for a splash of colour next year.
Hello all, I just joined the forum and I sowed a wildflower meadow last April and really pleased with it. I bought the seed from The Grass Seed Company, their basic wild flower meadow mix. Annuals flowered this year; corn flowers, corn cockles, corn marigolds, poppies and mayweed mostly. I expect it will be quite different next year with the perennials coming into their own. Here are some pictures.
start with bare ground, there is no point in sowing onto grass, the seeds simply will not grow.
decide if you want an annual mix (poppies, corn flowers etc.) or a perennial mix (ox- eye daisies, greater knapweed etc.)
In both cases sow now onto bare earth, that way the plants can get established before winter comes.
for annuals sow now, don't cut till late August, leave cuttings on the soil for a couple of days (must be dry days) remove cuttings early or after wet weather and seeds don't fall to the ground. Then disturb the ground, best way I've found its with a tilling machine that only breaks up the top couple of inches.
for perennials pick a mix low in grass seed (you want flowers not grass and grass will make its way in soon enough!) sow the mix now, give them a mow in October and again in February on a fairly high cut, then cut down in August and leave cuttings as above, once removed you can cut with a mower for the rest of the year, the advantage of perennial wildflower meadows is you can under plant with bulbs for spring colour.
Thank you Treehugger.
For the last four years we have left a large section of the lawn uncut until late July August, many wild flowers have appeared, including purple spotted leafed orchids, the piece of ground was meadow before we cultivated it in 1992, so the seed already there lay dormant for quite some time, gives a lot of pleasure.