WILDFLOWER MEADOWS

Jason Anning, Landscape Manager, Queen Thorne Landscapes

Unlike beds and borders, a meadow is an area of permanent grass where, with some care and attention, wildflowers are allowed to blossom and bloom. This might be across a large paddock or green, amongst trees or other shaded areas, along bank-sides, or even in a small, dedicated section of your garden. Wildflower meadows are a stunning addition to any outside space.

Not only are wildflower meadows a beautiful feature, but they are also incredibly important for wildlife. They provide food for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, all working hard to keep our ecosystem thriving. Did you know, just a ¼ of an acre can support as many as 24,000 bees!

It’s simple to convert a grass lawn into a wildflower meadow. You should first clear the area of existing grass and weeds either with a turf cutter, digging the ground over or using a weed killer to achieve a clear seed bed. Then, dig the ground over, removing large stones and root material before raking to even the surface and leaving a layer of fine tilth. You then have three options when creating your meadow:

The quickest option is to lay wildflower turf – readyprepared slabs of turf that give you a beautiful meadow as it establishes and grows. Simply lay the turf down on the prepared area, ensuring each slab butts up to the next to prevent weeds from breaking through, and press each roll down to ensure contact with the soil. Cut the slabs to size as necessary and then immediately water thoroughly. The least expensive option is to sow a wildflower meadow seed mix (making sure the ground is completely clear of weeds first, the soil is properly conditioned and prepared, fertiliser is applied and the ground is kept moist). It is important to calculate the amount of seed needed to cover an area as too many seeds will lead to greater competition between seedlings and result in lower diversity.

The final option is using a pre-prepared growing medium. This has the same results as turf with less work than only using seeds. Simply apply the medium on your prepared ground, making sure you cover the entire area. Use a scraper or flat edge of a rake to ensure it is spread evenly before rolling or walking over to press it against the soil surface. Finally, water well, and ensure the area is kept watered until the seedlings have established.

The best times to start a wildflower meadow are in autumn and spring. Spring (or any time after the frosts have stopped) is an excellent time to start as the ground should be easier to prepare and the (hopefully) warmer weather should encourage growth. queenthorne.co.uk

From sowing to blooming it can take anywhere between 54-81 days for the meadow to grow. With a pre-prepared growing medium, you should start to be able to enjoy flowers from about week 15 with different flowers blooming at different points over the summer. For example, if you install your meadow at the start of April, the first blooms should appear by July which will then evolve and continue throughout the summer and possibly into the autumn.

Most meadows should last throughout the summer, with different flowers blooming at different times. The plants then die off once they’ve set seed – which usually happens by September or October. Do not mow your meadow until this has happened.

By not mowing your meadow until after it has dropped its seed, both native annual and perennial species will grow back each year.

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