Wild flowers in grassy area?

[UneAstuce]

I've inherited a small back garden, west facing, with a small area of grass (I won't call it lawn ) as well as hard paving. My ultimate aim is to create a courtyard garden with reclaimed bricks, but that won't happen for a year or so. In the meantime I was thinking of just chucking wild flower seed on the unkempt scrubby area of grass to brighten it for the summer.

My question is, is this likely to work? We walk on the grassy area, would that matter?

It's already got lots of dandelions which are weeds really but I'm just going to go with it. I don't want a manicured back garden and the idea of a tiny wildflower meadow is quite appealing.

No, it won’t work. Seedlings will find it very hard to get going against the competition of the grass.

You might have more chance with plug plants of species that normally grow in grass.

Alternatively, you could lift a section of turf and sow wildflower seed. Most “wildflower” seed packets are so-called “cornfield weeds” which need newly tilled bare earth. They’re annuals, regrowing from seed every year.

Or you could get seed intended for a meadow (a meadow is grass, for grazing and hay). Again, you’d need to strip turf. The mix would be a mixture of grass and perennials, which aren’t reliant on setting seed each year and can compete with the tiny grass seedlings. It’ll usually have a few annuals to give instant colour in the first year, but these will die out as the meadow gets established.

In similar circumstances I got a spade and lifted the ‘turf’ and dug out any obvious perennials and sowed wildflower annual seed mix. It was beautiful last year.

But it wouldn’t have worked if I’d left the grass.

Ah thank you. I'm glad I checked here. Looks like I will have to crack on with the paving then. Will investigate plug plants for the grassy area for the meantime

You could clear small patches and sow annuals, such as Candytuft, cornflower, love in the mist, Californian poppies etc. They will flower this year and often set seeds that come back next year.

I've decided to clear a few patches in the turf and plant cornflowers and candytuft. Hoping it will look nice in summer and then hopefully in autumn I will be able to make it into a paved area.

I know keeping the grass would be better for wildlife but I do have loads of Ivy on a fence where birds are nesting, plus goodness knows how many tonnes of pots with bee friendly plants in them! And planning to make a "pond in a pot" which should be interesting. I've always wanted a courtyard garden -

I have a courtyard area, when I bought the house the previous owners had it pristinely jet washed. Their choice, fine. Over the last few years, I’ve allowed self sown plants to grow, such as pansies, Mimulus, thyme and lobelia. They have all migrated from my other planters and look so pretty in between the cracks. You could always leave little areas between the bricks to plant in.
Paving doesn’t have to exclude wildlife.

Candytuft, californian poppy, love in the mist aren’t wildflowers, at least, not in the uk.