I want to plant wild flower?

Question

I would like to know if I am sowing a bank which I dont want to mow, would I need to sow grass seed with the wild flower seed or would the flower be OK on its own. If I do, how much grass seed should I use as I dont want to smoother the flower .

Answer 1

Wild flower meadows, of which there were many when I was a boy, are ‘natural’. With today’s winter animal food manufactured, a farmer’s need for hay has greatly reduced so we tend not to see this beautiful site anymore. Though there are places where wild flower meadows are being re-grown, and creating one even in a small garden is possible. The conditions that create the wild flower meadows were made by the farmer. He would allow a field to grow grass, cut it at the end of summer and store the cut grass as hay to feed animals through the winter. This meant that much of the nutrients the grass had taken from the soil were not returned and the grass grew weaker each year. Some plants began to take advantage of these conditions and actually thrive in them. Thus the wild flower meadow was born. And as Marcus said, some became so specialised they can only survive in these sparse conditions.

So , to answer your question, whether you decide to grow with grass or whether you decide to allow the grass to grow naturally, you must let the grass grow all through the summer cutting it in the spring to give the flowers a head start (obviously before the flowers are growing!) and again in autumn after the flowers have seeded- or you won’t have flowers next year. You must remove the grass cuttings or they will rot back into the soil and the following years grass will be strong and overgrow the flowers.

The best way to get the effect is the slowest. Grow grass for two or three years and cut and collect as suggested. Once the grass is fine enough to allow the successful growth of flowers, sow the flower seed. Or let the flowers come in naturally. This will mean five to ten years for a really nice patch, but no shortcut will be quite as nice.



A quick way I would recommend would be to try to identify a patch of soil that is already poor and not good for producing cultivated flowers. Dig in plenty of sand (not builder’s sand) to allow free drainage. Sow the seeds as required and hopefully you’ll have something decent in a couple of years.

Answer 2

You can buy mixes of grass seed with wild flower seeds mixed in, if you really want a mix from the start.  Otherwise, choose some wild flowers that will be ideal for your location,  as some are better in shady areas rather than dry and full sun.

I'd recommend getting a range of flowers, that will flower at different periods of the year, giving you a long lasting beautiful and interesting wild flower garden.   Many of them attract bees, butterflies and bird life, so are a haven for our native wildlife.

Foxgloves are easy, tall growing plants, that flower from around late April to July time - good for the back of your border.  Digitalis purpurea is the botanical name for these.  They're good in slightly shaded spots too.  http://www.wildlife-travel.co.uk/clientf...

Primroses (http://www.bbc.co.uk/southerncounties/co... and Cowslips (http://www.lindalepark.co.uk/gallery/ima... are good early season flowers, and are low growing.  Primula vulgaris and Primula veris are the botanical names of these.  They both have yellow flowers, of different shades, and are scented too, which is a bonus and will reseed to spread more.

Harebells are lovely blue summer flowers,  and grow to around 18'' tall, I recommend these and insects love them. Will reseed and spread too.  http://farm1.static.flickr.com/25/484651...

Teasels are not the most beautiful flowers, growing 3 to 4 feet tall, but Gold Finches love to eat their seeds, and is a good way to attract them to your garden.  http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/p...

There are also wild pansies that you can grow, that have several colours to each flower, really nice.  http://www.deepblue.uk.net/images/conten...

Poppies are really easy to grow, and their red colouring is stunning.  They will readily give tons of colour to your border, and reseed well.

As your soil is likely to have some weed seeds within it, it could be worth sowing the seeds in patches, so that you can identify the ones you're planting from the ones that were there before.  Some can also be sown in pots, and then planted into their spaces later.  Foxgloves are good this way, and sown now will flower next summer.

Grass will sprout from seeds already in the ground, though you could add some fine leaved grass type seeds too, just where you want it - grass spreads out easily, so planting doesn't need to be too exact - and you can always take some out, making space for flowering plants afterwards.  

Hope these ideas help.  Good luck!  Rob

Answer 3

Don't combine the two.  Grass will suck the water and nutrients away from the wildflowers, and will eventually crowd them out.  Plus, you can't mow the grass without mowing down the flowers.  Just sow the flowers.  After the flowers come up, be sure to mulch the soil.  It will keep the soil cool, conserve water and will keep the weeds down.  Have fun! :)

Answer 4

I'll second don't sow grass, it will arrive on its own with the birds.

Basically you sow the wild flower seed and do nothing more. Some actually thrive in harsh conditions and actually need them to flower. It's pot luck what comes up and what doesn't, that's the point of it being wild :0)