How to plant a Wildflower meadow

In this article we describe how to plant a wildflower meadow using 3 different methods.

Wildflowers in summer

When and how to plant a Wildflower meadow with a grass and wildflower mix

The most common method is to sow a mixture of wildflower seeds and meadow grass. This approach is generally used whenever it is possible to fully clear any existing vegetation and then prepare a bare weed -free seed bed. It is generally regarded as the most cost effective method  for medium sized areas and above.

When and how to plant a Wildflower meadow with a pure wildflower mix

When it is not possible to clear the existing vegetation it may be necessary to over-seed using pure wildflower seed. This method is generally less reliable and is only  appropriate for  low fertility sites that are already vegetated with fine growing meadow grasses and perhaps a few wildflowers. In any event the existing grass should always be cut very short before over-sowing with wildflower seed. To prevent the grasses from smothering emerging seedlings, regular cutting would then need to be maintained until the wildflowers have established.

When and how to plant a Wildflower meadow with wildflower plug plants

A third alternative is the introduction of wildflower plant plugs. This approach is usually more costly and labour intensive but has the advantage of giving any  wildflowers a head start and can offer quicker, more reliable results. This method is generally more suitable for smaller areas such as mini- meadows or flowering lawns. It is also useful on soils with high fertility, where there maybe a lot of competition from other plants and weeds that can not be removed.