How to create a wildflower meadow

Wildflower meadows are vibrant, rich habitats where flora and fauna can thrive together. They’re also an excellent addition to the local biodiversity. And what’s more, wildflower meadows can enjoy pride of place in your very own back garden. 

So if you’re thinking of turning part of your garden into a wildflower meadow, here’s how to do it. 

Choose your mix

First, the fun part – choosing your wildflowers and wild grasses. You can buy pre-made wildflower mixes from most garden centres, or you can get creative and blend your own. 

Common wildflowers can include birds-foot trefoil, meadow buttercup, greater and common knapweed, ox-eye daisy, and many more. Why not ask gardening friends or do some research online to select the colours and types that jump out at you? 

Pick your patch 

Next, you’ll need to choose a patch of garden that has the most supportive conditions for your wildflower meadow. It’s wise to choose the sunniest and most open area of your lawn – the size of the patch is completely up to you! 

Select your soil 

Wildflowers struggle to grow in overly fertile soil, so you’ll need to ensure that your patch has low-fertility topsoil. You can purchase specialist low-fertility soil from trusted suppliers such as Chargrace Soils. All you then need to do is remove the current topsoil, up to about five or six inches, and spread the new low-fertility soil in its place. 

Do the groundwork 

Naturally, you’ll want to remove any weeds or anything else that’s growing in your chosen patch that you don’t want to end up in the final meadow. This will create bare ground in which to sow your seeds. 

Start sowing 

Sowing wildflower seeds couldn’t be easier. 

All you need to do is sprinkle the seeds over the prepared bare ground, and then gently walk across the scattered seeds to tread them in – no need to cover over with any additional soil, either. Just give them water and you’re on your way. Autumn is generally recommended as the best time to carry this out. 

Minimal maintenance 

The key is to water the wildflower meadow regularly, about twice a week and more in summer, until it shows signs of establishing. You can then water established meadows less. You might also want to check for weeds every now and then. 

Your meadow will need to be cut periodically, so maybe check on the guidance if you have bought a seed packet or ask for advice from your local garden centre. However, the general advice is that summer is the prime time to cut the growth for the very first time. 

Do your cutting with shears and in a dry spell – you might want to leave the cut clippings for a couple of days to let the seeds drop back into the ground, but make sure to clear away the clippings after this lest the soil become too fertile. The fallen seeds should then flower once again in autumn time. 

In the future, you can vary when you cut the meadow, opting for a few times in autumn or even spring. This variation of cutting timing is to prevent certain plants from becoming too dominant over the others. 

Start your wildflower journey with help from Chargrace Soils. We’re the go-to suppliers of high-quality soils for a range of purposes – including soils that are perfect for wildflower meadows. Simply shop online for fast, easy delivery across Kent, Bromley and Sevenoaks, or get in touch with our team for some friendly advice.