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Wildflower meadow seed mix?

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  • Wildflower meadow seed mix?

    I wasn't sure which section of the forum to post in, so I hope this one will do.

    Our front lawn slopes quite steeply and is a pain to mow. It's not all that big but there are a couple of obstacles you have to mow round. Half of it is shaded by trees and hedges so is always wet, clogging the mower.

    There's a restrictive covenant on the property saying it must be kept as lawn. But there's nothing saying how often you have to mow it. We don't do it often enough and it doesn't look good. My other half wants to replace it with artificial turf. I'm wondering if we can get away with a wildflower meadow instead, the sort that is cut down a couple of times a year when the spring flowers finish and when the summer flowers finish.

    (a) What does anyone think? Is there a legal definition of "lawn" which means this would breach the covenant? I'm not sure the covenant can even be enforced, as the building company doesn't exist any more.

    (b) Can you suggest which flowers I should consider? I think there's one (is it yellow rattle? I'll look it up later) which parasitises the grass so it doesn't grow as strongly and allows the flowers to get a look in. I'm considering fritillaria meleagris for the damp area. N.B. I don't want cornfield wildflowers like poppies etc. as they need the soil to be ploughed every year to come through.

    (c) Can you suggest a good seed source for a wildflower mixture, or am I better getting them individually?

  • #2
    I've never heard of mowing twice in a season, you would surely remove the tops of the growing plants for later flowering. I think you may well end up if someone takes an interest, having to re instate a "lawn", as in short cut grass.

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    • #3
      I should probably just read up on all this myself instead of taking the lazy way out and posting on here, but I thought someone might have experience with it.

      This page on "management of meadows and grassland" says to mow regularly the first year and thereafter "A main mid-summer hay cut, mowing or grazing of the regrowth 'aftermath' in late summer and autumn, and mowing or grazing of lush spring growth."
      Management of meadows and grassland | Aftercare | Sowing & Aftercare | Emorsgate Seeds

      I'm quite liking the look of this mixture from Chilterns Seeds:
      http://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/item_..._large_packets

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