Wildflower meadows are all the rage: here's how to plant one
Meadows can be created from mixtures of annual flowers, which grow, bloom and set seed in one year, or from perennials that flower in their first year and then bloom again over the following few years. Alternatively, you can opt for grasses and perennial wildflower mixtures or easy planting solutions, such as ready-to-use impregnated seed papers, or mats or turves of meadow plants that contain various blends of perennials and, in some cases, grass species.
Sowing annual mixes is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways of establishing a meadow effect, as the results are quick and colourful. They are really useful in small gardens that have areas of open ground, such as alongside a pathway, or gaps in borders, or you can use them in large pots. While most annual mixes require full sun, there are blends suitable for light shade, but not for deep shade.
Some mixtures comprise a wide range of species, others recreate hay meadows and include scarlet poppies, blue and red flax, azure cornflowers, and pink or white corncockle. Alternatively, you can choose colour-themed blends in yellow, blue, pink, red or white.
Factors to consider before sowing annual flower seed
- Small spaces
- Gaps in borders
- Hedgerow margins
- Containers
- Cheap to create
- Easy to sow
- Fast establishment
- Flowers weeks from sowing
- Weeds can dominate if seed is not sown correctly
- Sowing needs to be even for best results
- Flowering can be short or curtailed in poor weather
- Can look untidy after flowering season is over
- Ground looks untidy or bare out of season
- Areas will need re-sowing to maintain the intensity and balance of the flower display in successive years
- Food for the larvae of some beneficial insects
- Food for pollinating insects from early summer
- Seeds for birds and wildlife in autumn if plants are left in situ
- Clean the sowing area of all weeds beforehand
- Displays work best in nutrient poor soil, so do not add fertiliser
- Water until seedlings establish, and then only in dry conditions
How to sow annual flower seed
Quick and easy, this sowing method is ideal for the beginner who wants colourful annual flowers for a pathway, border or small meadow.
- Site: Full sun
- Soil: Free-draining
- Maintenance needed: Medium
- Seed mixtures of choice
- Rake
- Loam-based or peat-free seed compost
- Garden sieve
- Watering can or hose
- Bees, butterflies and other pollinators
- Woodland edge and shade-loving plants
- Colourful meadows
- Colour-themed meadow effects
- Various soil conditions
- Wild bird seed
- Aquilegia
Neill Hepworth1/10Prepare to plant
Ensure the soil surface is cleared of all perennial and established weed seedlings. In spring or late summer, create a level and fine textured seed bed with a rake, breaking up any clods of earth.
Neill Hepworth2/10Sow seed evenly
Sow seed evenly, following the instructions on the packet. Some mixes come in a carton (above) to make sowing easier. You can also mix loose seed with dry, silver sand to help distribute the seeds evenly; it also identifies the sown areas.
Neill Hepworth3/10The cover-up
Ideally, lightly cover the sown area with sieved sterilised loam or peat-free seed compost, rather than garden soil which will contain weed seed, which will germinate and compete with your selected meadow species.
Neill Hepworth4/10Seedling care
Soak the area thoroughly with a can fitted with a fine rose head. Keep the soil moist during prolonged dry spells. For small areas, cover the bed with sweet pea netting to prevent birds eating the seeds.
Watch out for weeds
Allow seedlings to grow naturally, watering the bed only if the soil is very dry. Keep a watch for obvious vigorous weed seedlings such as nettles that could disrupt plantings and remove them carefully by hand.
Aftercare
Do not be tempted to apply liquid fertilisers, as they stimulate lush growth, causing the plants to collapse and reducing the flower display. If rain batters down the plants, shake off the excess and right the growth as carefully as possible. Unless you need seeds for birds, or you want plants to self-sow, remove them after flowering and re-sow the area again the following year. Some annuals will self-seed if left untouched until early autumn, but remember that the subsequent blend of plants will be unpredictable.
Neill Hepworth5/10Spangled with annual wildflowers, a neglected path-edging is transformed into a colourful miniature meadow (below).
Neill Hepworth6/10
Neill Hepworth7/10An enchanting jewel-box of flowers from an annual blend shows what is possible from a successful broadcast sowing of seed.
Neill Hepworth8/10Annual cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus) are available in a wide range of colours, from blue, through to pink, purple and white.
Neill Hepworth9/10The classic meadow planting of annual scarlet field poppies, blue cornflowers and white ox- eye daisies is a dramatic sight as summer peaks and it is easy to create from ready-blended seed mixtures.
10/10New Wild Garden by Ian Hodgson, £20, published by Frances Lincoln
