Wild Flower Meadow

[Jillyreeves]

Hi Jilly - I'll pm you when they are ready!

Thank you

[BFG]

unless the soil is really poor already, you really need to remove most of the fertile top soil for wildflowers to succeed long term. If you don't, it'll get taken over by the more aggressive weeds (some people would consider the wildflowers weeds anyway, but you know what I mean).

Also, don't forget the grass. A meadow is a mixture of grasses and flowers. A lot of butterflies need grass for their larvae. As well as loads of other insects, including some bumble bees.

It'll need cutting/strimming/hacking/eaten once or twice a year and the cuttings need to be removed to prevent a build up of thatch and nutrients.

If you can't deprive the soil 1st, you can go for a cornfield instead:

"A cornfield is a very colourful and pretty alternative to creating a meadow. Cornfields are different to
meadows in a number of ways. Meadows usually contain grasses and perennial wildflowers, whereas
cornfields contain arable wildflowers such as poppies that are annuals. The soil does not need to be low
in fertility in a cornfield."

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&sou...QzRAGePCQm5scQ

Wildflower meadows - how to sow the seeds for your wildflower meadow or meadows

[Nicos]

I have a field next to me with young chestnut trees growing in it, and the wild flowers in it are superb having not been grazed for 4 years and cut back once a year, I'm hoping my field/garden area will go like that- although I want to add a few plants with more flowers. It'll be interesting to see how it goes. I have poppy seeds peeps have kindly sent me , so I'm going to grow more of those this year.
As the info above suggests, I think I need to remove clods of top soil/grass to reduce the competition for the newbies.
It's an exciting project isn't it??

[BFG]

It is very exciting. I love meadows. So vibrant and full of life.

I've not got a lot of land, but determined to fit a long grass area and mini meadow in somewhere.

if it's already mostly grass, you can introduce Yellow Rattle which is a grass parasite. It obviously won't help with other weeds, but it'll stop the grass out competing the flowers at least.

[nick the grief]

I agree, move the top soil somewhere else in the plot and dig the sub soil over well to stop the plants growing too lush, and remove the top growth as well as this will deplete nutrition in the soil.

Emorsgate seeds do various mixes or separate varieties if you want them.

As to attracting butterflies - plant some cabbages

[Aileen35]

I have a supply of meadow seeds if anyone is interested. It includes Agrimony Black knapweed Glaucous Sedge Great Burnet Hawkbit Meadow Buttercup Pepper Saxifrage Ribwort plantain and Yellow Rattle. PM me if you are interested.

[Jillyreeves]

I have a supply of meadow seeds if anyone is interested. It includes Agrimony Black knapweed Glaucous Sedge Great Burnet Hawkbit Meadow Buttercup Pepper Saxifrage Ribwort plantain and Yellow Rattle. PM me if you are interested.

Hello Aileen - PM sent

[BFG]

Just thought I'd bump this as it's getting close to spring sowing time if anyone is creating a meadow.