A place to learn, share and inspire others to create a haven for you and for wildlife.
Sign In or Register to join the conversation
Over the past two years I have attempted to create a wild flower meadow. I removed the turf (due to damage by retired greyhound) terraced the plot by building curving walls, and added additional top soil (mistake?) to level each terrace. I also planted two hawthorn hedges. I bought and laid new turf, which has now set and after several weeks planted 13 different species of perennial wild flowers suitable for clay soils and to flower from spring to autumn. So far, the cowslips, white campion, whire and red clover and rough hawbit have or are flowering quite well. I would like to add red poppy, cornflower and others next spring. I intend to cut the grasses etc. either late autumn or very early spring. I would like your comments and any advice on when, what and how to plant to achieve a more colourful meadow (total of 38sq. m) and from where to buy the seed.
I greatly admire Arabian horses, greyhounds and birds.
THanks for that Alan
Hi Sparrowhawk
Adding top soil and bought turf was not the best start I’m afraid. A wildflower meadow needs very poor soil but it is not the end of the world, you can still have a meadow although the grass might swamp the flowers.
First you need to decide if you want a spring meadow or a summer meadow, they require mowing at different times.
I grow a spring meadow because my ground is too rich for a summer one. I have a bed (with no grass) which I grow my corn-field annuals in.
For a spring meadow you mow from July through to late autumn
For a summer meadow you mow late March and then leave it until late September before mowing again.
Most of the large seed companies sell wildflower seeds as mixes or single species.
It does take a few years of trial and error before you learn what suits your meadow.
I have found that sowing my seeds in trays and growing them on as plug plants is the best method although it is time consuming.
Build it and they will come.
Hi All,
As many of you know I have also grown a wild-flower meadow for the first time this year with mixed results. My sown seeds didn't do very much except the yellow rattle which enjoyed itself!.....I also took the precaution of growing seeds in trays and then planting out as plugs. A word of warning though....all my blue cornflowers were eaten in two nights by slugs! Fortunately I had a few trays of white and purple cornflowers left so I grew then on until they were heavily in bud and then planted them out in the meadow which seemed to work ok.
Rather than bore you with words here are the results in pictures (I hope if this site lets me!! LOL)
Cheers
Wow Higgy that is amazing, they are some of my fav annuals. How small a space would you think you need to make an impact?
'In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks' John Muir.
Excuse wobbily dyslexic spelling!
Osprey - you don't need much space for wildflowers, and just a small patch would benefit insects. You can even grow some in window boxes or pots the main thing with all wildflowers is getting poor quality soil - which is probably the hardest thing for most gardens as gardening is usually all about improving the soil and this is not what wildflowers need!
My wildflower meadow is still looking flattened from all the rain we had last week, but I'm hoping that maybe a few more varieties will come up as a result!
Millie & Fly the Border Collies
Hey Kat thanks for the reply. Had a couple of wild meadowy bits of grass in Aberdeenshire. Cut some late March after all the bulbs died down then I left another bit after a few early cuts + there I got the most wonderful Hare Bells flowering - the bees were there in droves!! Must try here have a wee bit of grass that does little so this might be the thing!!
Hi Osprey,
My patch is about 25'x25' square or there abouts. Out of that space I have also cut some paths so all in all it's not a massive area. As this is my first season (sowed seeds last Autumn) I have actually done much better by growing plugs and the planting them out when big enough. I'm hoping that these plants will now self seed with a bit of luck. I shall definitely grow more plugs on next year as they are so impactive. I have to say that Corn Marigolds are number 1 on my list so far as they flower quite early and last for a long time, the bees and insects absolutely love them also!
This year as you may have seen from my other posts on here I have had a massive variety of bee species in the garden and actually have two nests on either side of this area! I have also recorded several other insect species which I have never seen before and they always seem to be sat on the corn Marigolds!
If you have any spare space I would say give it a go, you'll love it!...
As Higgy says, corn marigolds are a magnet for insects and besides that are a nice, simple, cheery plant that will grow in good soil (unusual for wild flowers) because it, like field poppies, cornflowers, corn cockle and other corn field annuals, they actually like a decent level of fertility and freedom from competition from other plants, which makes all the corn field annuals suitable for pots as well as newly turned soil that's a little on the rich side for our other native plants.
Brilliant Higgy, I'm envious and perhaps a bit too impatient. However, I'll use some of your tips
Hi Wildlife friendly, Thanks for the info. Trouble was, I put the topsoil down before deciding on wildflower meadow. Other problem was developers (40 odd years ago) put down sewerage farm filter bed ash; it still seems effective. However I'll persevere and keep cutting the grass late Autumn and early Spring