Wildflower lawn

[ElasticFirecracker]

Has anybody any experience of planting a wildflower lawn?

I know there is wildflower turf available and that you can also plant with seeds.

I have a large lawn which is both sloping and undulating. It has som fruit trees in it, and is currently rough mossy grass which has been strimmed once a year or so for the last few years.

The size is about 200ft by 300ft.

I will be making a path or two across and so can divide the area up into sections.

I think the size would make using turf very expensive.

I want to take an area and do a test.

I'm also not that keen on digging up the grass, but appreciate that I may have to. I had thought that I could set out an area cover with cardboard and then cover that with soil/compost. This would help to even out the level of the lawn. Then plant the seeds on top of this.

I also understand that it's necessary to mow the lawn at a key point, and am wondering how easy it is to know when to do that.

Any advice gratefully received.

OK, first things first: a wildflower meadow, which is what you're talking about, is a beautiful thing. It really can be breathtaking! It is, however, not the maintenance-free option that many people think it is!

First of all, you're talking about wild flowers competing with grasses, which are one of the most competitive things there is! If you want the meadow to stay flowery in the long term, you need to do three things: firstly, to plant things that attack the grass and weaken it (yellow rattle), and secondly, to be prepared to restock with wild flowers if you really want the most stunning 'look'. (The good news is that, being weeds, they are easy to propagate!) The last thing is to mow at the right time of year to let your key plants set seed and to control grass. This depends on when your key plants flower (spring or summer). Guidance here: www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=446

Thank you so much holly. I thought there was more to it.

This year I'll sow some yellow rattle to weaken the grass in preparation for sowing seed next spring.

I think I'll take a section for wildflower meadow, and try to revive the traditional lawn in another section and see what works.