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wildflowers

• Message 1. 

  Posted by solario (U11983925) on Friday, 16th May 2008

  I'm trying to create a wildflower meadow. Have any of you done this?

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• Message 2

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  Posted by Seacarrot (U3012141) on Saturday, 17th May 2008

  You need very poor soil in an open sunny aspect.
  
  Try the Garden Clinic Board, this is more for Gardening on TV.

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• Message 3

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  Posted by Aspidistra (U11680993) on Saturday, 17th May 2008

  Its a great idea. Anything in particular you want to know about doing it? Are you planning on doing it on an established lawn, or what sort of area do you already have there? Although as Seacarrot says, we should really move over to the garden clinic board, so see you over there?

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  Posted by Aspidistra (U11680993) on Saturday, 17th May 2008

  Found a good website for you: www.gardenadvice.co.uk/howto/wildlflowers/meadow/index.html

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• Message 5

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  Posted by solario (U11983925) on Sunday, 18th May 2008

  Thank you! Just joined the Garden Advice team.
  I have four acres with my cottage, one is my garden, and two of them I want to create wildflower meadows. There is a stream running alongside these two meadows which normally ensures plenty of moisture. I have sown ten kilos of wildflowers in one of the fields and the germination rate was very high. However, the grasses are romping ahead and I'm hoping the wildflower seedlings will hold their own. I'm not sure how hardy these little people are, but since they seem to grow in cracks in concrete with no soil or water, I'm keeping my fingers crossed! The wildflower seed is £80 per kilo, so I'm keeping everything crossed!!

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• Message 6

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  Posted by Aspidistra (U11680993) on Monday, 19th May 2008

  Lucky, lucky you having all that land to play with! It sounds idyllic. I'm wondering, did you do the thing where you started off with bare scraped soil as I think someone else mentioned? This is because wildflowers need a low nutrient rich soil whereas ground which already has grass on it is too high in nutrients for them.
  
  Are the grasses part of the seed mix, or the grass that was there before? If the latter, they will overcome the flowers unfortunately as they are stronger growing. You will still get flowers this year, but if you want it to establish permanently, you really need to read up more on the whole thing of how to establish it properly, ground-wise. I'm a great believer in plug planting of wildflowers, although it is a lot of work on a large area. You'll be amazed by mid-summer by how the meadow buzzes with activity. A wonderful thing.

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• Message 7

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  Posted by solario (U11983925) on Tuesday, 20th May 2008

  I did'nt prepare the meadow as if I were sowing a "crop". just gave it a good rake with a tine harrow and sowed into the bare patches. I really wanted to give the natural process of wild seeding a helping hand. In the autumn, after I have taken the hay away I shall sow more, hopefully giving the flowers a head start next spring. I had thought of plugging and there is a nursery near Norwich which sells them, but 9,000 plugs was just a bit tooooooo much to contemplate!!!

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  Posted by deepmire (U3354924) on Tuesday, 20th May 2008

  hello
  I have a book 'Creating a flower meadow' by Y Verner - they bought a field to create the meadow in - it makes interesting reading if you can get it from your local library.
  basically what most above have mentioned - poor soil - cut to keep the grasses down 2 a year - plug planting...
  
  one of the options was to create from start - when plants have got to 4 or 5 inches, firm them in by rollering or treading in.. then once they have revived mow to about 2 inches and rake off clippings - keep mowing once plants get back to 5 inches - means the following year the flowers will be well rooted and more able to withstand the grasses .. essentially - its much better explained in the book..! (Tho am sure there are plenty of other books out there too..)
  
  all the best with your meadow!
  

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• Message 9

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  Posted by Aspidistra (U11680993) on Tuesday, 20th May 2008

  Yes, I wouldn't have advocated you buying plugs, Solario, just growing them yourself - very easy because they can be done outdoors, you just need loads of trays but indeed with the amount you need...

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• Message 10

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  Posted by solario (U11983925) on Tuesday, 20th May 2008

  Was given that book as a present last year, which provoked my interest! As I have said, I just want to give the 'natural' process of seeding a helping hand by sowing wildflowers into bare parts of my meadows. Hopefully, when I have good sized areas of flowers amongst the grasses, I will leave them to self seed and create a more "natural" meadow. I do find it amazing that nature sorts itself out as I drive around the lanes of South Norfolk and see such diversity of flowers clinging to life in the verges, cracks in the asphalt etc. Just hope my seedlings have the same "will to live"!!!

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• Message 11

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  Posted by solario (U11983925) on Tuesday, 20th May 2008

  I'm looking forward to seeing Carol Klein on UKTV STYLE (I'm always behind!!) where she talks about wildflowers, although I suspect it will be in the corner of a small garden! Although I admire the fabulous blooms shown in "normal" gardens, I do have a very strong sense of wonder at nature's irrepressible fight for life in the wild, without careful management by humans. I feel the same about foxes, wasps, hornets, bees etc., just trying to earn a crust, get by. When I watch the Chelsea Flower Show, it's like watching a live broadcast from another planet consisting of sawn timber, stainless steel, glass, stone plus some colourful vegetation!

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• Message 12

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  Posted by Aspidistra (U11680993) on Tuesday, 20th May 2008

  I quite agree!

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• Message 13

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  Posted by solario (U11983925) on Friday, 30th May 2008

  I must eat my words regarding Carol Klein and the wildflowers! Tonites programme was so informative for me. My two acre site for a wildflower meadow is a mix of good, clay, boggy soils and Carol certainly helped me out. Also, I have plans to create a half acre pond, and wish I had seen Monty's preparation of his pond, particularly regarding the depth. This will be crucial. If anyone remembers his advice on the pond, I would appreciate it!

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• Message 14

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  Posted by Aspidistra (U11680993) on Friday, 30th May 2008

  I didn't see Monty on ponds, but if you are doing a good-sized pond for wildlife, at the deepest, it should be at least a metre deep. This is so that (some)creatures that want to can hibernate down there without being frozen, as the water is not going to freeze down that deep.

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• Message 15

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  Posted by solario (U11983925) on Friday, 30th May 2008

  Hadn't thought about hibernation. I had thought about 2 metres at the deepest point because I vaguely remember something about volume of water and stagnancy, i.e. more volume, less stagnancy. This is going to be very expensive so I need to get it right. I would have an island for ducks etc., and the edges of the pond would have a gentle gradient for small amphibians. I DO wish I had seen Monty's digging out!

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