There are plenty of ways to sow wildflower seeds to create a wildflower friendly patch in your outdoor space. Creating a wildflower meadow is easy and provides you with an abundance of colour in your garden as well as acting as a host for pollinators and general nesting ground and food source for lots of local wildlife.
Where to sow wildflower seeds
You can grow a patch of wildflowers in plenty of different sized spaces, from large empty garden patches or even in plant pots. As long as they are being grown in an open enough and sunny spot with well-prepared soil, wildflower seeds will do well in most areas.
If the area you had in mind is prone to sitting in shade for most of the day, perhaps you could think about planting woodland wildflowers instead.
It is possible to get involved with planting wildflowers even if you have limited space or live in a flat, simply invest in some containers or window boxes, or consider signing up for an allotment.
When to sow wildflower seeds
The best time to sow wildflower seeds is often during spring or in early autumn/late summer, so long as the soil is not clay-heavy or water-logged. It’s best to check the individual packets from your wildflower seeds to be certain, but generally March and April tend to be the best months.
How to sow wildflower seeds
While it is possible to just scatter or throw some wildflower seed onto some compost, this won’t always result in the best germination. There are plenty of much better ways of sowing almost any kind of seed, including wildflower seeds, here are three ways in which we recommend creating a wildflower haven:
- Make sure the ground/soil is prepared and other existing plants and weeds are removed. Turn the top layer of soil over and then rake gently to create a level bed then begin distributing the seed equally over the area before giving it another gentle rake.
- Another way to plant wildflowers is to sow the seeds into plug modules/seed trays using peat-free compost. Move seedlings outside after the last frosts of the year.
- A hassle-free way to plant wildflowers is to purchase them pre-planted in plugs which you can simply place into the ground in the desired area.
Types of wildflower seeds
There are two main types of wildflower seeds, annual and perennial. These can also then be split into native and not native. We recommend using native wildflower seeds where possible to support the local, native insect and wildflower populations.
Annual seeds will bloom during the first summer and then produce seed which can grow into new plants each following year. Perennial wildflower seeds often burst into colour year after year.
Examples of native British wildflowers:
If you aren’t sure where to start when picking wildflower seeds to grow, why not try out mat seed carpets? A butterfly mat seed carpet and a bee mat seed carpet are catered to help butterflies and bees respectively as pollinators, however you can also grab a general wildflower mat seed carpet.
Wildflower maintenance
Wildflowers don’t need a huge amount of maintenance or care and gardeners are generally discouraged from using fertilisers or feeds as this can promote growth of grasses and other unwanted plants instead.
It is important to water the growing wildflowers regularly, especially during spells of warmer weather to avoid the soil drying out.
Most wildflower meadows will need cutting back annually in order to be able to establish again the year after. The best time of year to do this depends on whether your blooms are spring or summer flowering as it’s important to give late blooming seedlings a chance to establish first. Leave cuttings on the ground for a few days to allow seeds to disperse into the ground before composting dead plant remains in a compost bin.
Hints and tips
Weeds and grass can be an issue in wildflower patches, but if you plant a variety of wildflowers that includes yellow rattle, the growth of unwanted grass is inhibited by this plant as it is semi-parasitic towards it.
Birds and other wildlife may attempt to eat your freshly sown seeds, a few ways of deterring them is to cover your wildflower patch with a net or some sort of breathable covering that allows light to filter through. Another option is to hang some CD’s nearby, the light reflecting off these will harmlessly deter birds.