Gardening Tips > March > ‘How to’? Sow Your Own Wild Flower Meadow

‘How to’? Sow Your Own Wild Flower Meadow

Traditionally large areas of landscaping are mostly sown with grass, however wildflowers are really good for wildlife such as pollinators, and birds who eat the seed heads.

 

You don’t have to have a large park to create a splash – you can sow wild flower mixes even in very small gardens. For example, you could sow a strip at the edge of your lawn, or in a wild area.

If you sow between September and October or March to June, you’ll get flowers blooming 6-8 weeks after sowing. You need to prepare the soil in advance by weeding and cultivating it and then can sow by hand or using a lawn seed spreader for larger areas.

How to plant your wild flower seeds:

  • Turn your soil over to a depth of at least 10cm.
  • Then spread the soil evenly. Rake and level the surface for sowing.
  • Look at the packet of seeds to see what area the packet covers, so you are spreading them at the right rate.
  • Shake up the seeds and sow by casting over the surface.
  • Pack down the soil.
  • Water with a fine spray, keeping the soil moist until the seeds begin to sprout.

Native species include Birdsfoot Trefoil, Black Medick, Black Knapweed, Common Vetch, Meadow Buttercup, Oxeye Daisy, Ribwort Plantain, White Campion, White Clover, Self Heal, Yarrow, Musk Mallow and Red Campion.

Grasses include Browntop Bent, Crested Dogstail, Meadow Fescue, Red Fescue, Smooth Stalk Meadow Grass and Yorkshire Fog. Together these plants will attract wildlife and look beautiful every year.

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