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Original poster

Wildflower lawn mess

30 replies

MerylSqueak · 06/05/2023 09:22

Could you please give me your short term solutions to this problem?

Last year we removed the top layer of our front lawn and decided to put down a mix of grass and wildflowers. We sewed a mix of grass and annual and perennial flowers. It looked amazing.

This year, it looks appalling. Nothing perennial seems to have come up, there are bare patches, dandelion and plantain that have come over from next door and some strange spinach looking thing.

I sewed some RHS lawn flower seed a few weeks ago. The only thing I can see happening is a new invasion of couch grass.

I think we'll have to strip the whole thing back again in the autumn and start again but we need to wait until then as DH is waiting for an operation and we don't have money to spend on it at the moment really.

What would you do to make the best if it for this summer?

OP posts:
Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 07/05/2023 10:06

MerylSqueak · 07/05/2023 10:01

Well it certainly has been disturbed and ploughed yesterday!

In the midst of it yesterday, DH looked at me and said, 'Sometimes you have to look at your neighbours and realise there's a reason they haven't done something.'

Yet neither of us wants a conventional lawn and neither of us wants the kind of gravel and plant pot arrangement people seem to go for. It was great last year and all the neighbours stopped to compliment us and ask if they could pick flowers. I suppose we'll just have to look at it as a work in progress.

I have thought about a thyme lawn and turf but they're very expensive.

What about a clover lawn? Low growing, bee friendly, doesn't need cutting and pretty much green all year? Doesn't take too much traffic, but will come back time and time again (just ask anyone who's tried to get clover out of a lawn).

MereDintofPandiculation · 07/05/2023 20:38

cathyandclare · 07/05/2023 09:50

We have a perennial wildflower meadow ( Pictorial Meadows woodland edge) and it was an enormous amount of work, so much hand pulling of weeds, I’ve only kept on with the damn thing because I’ve invested so much time and money. It does look lovely now though- after 5 years!

For the bare bits, plant some seeds that will suit your soil- but in my experience things like poppies only seem to grow for one year, the soil needs to be disturbed/ploughed for them to come back.

Not sure what “weeds” you’re pulling. If you mean things like dandelions then your soil is too rich. Nobody goes round weeding hay meadows!

cathyandclare · 07/05/2023 20:47

Fat hen, field bindweed and nettles. We could have left them, but they were everywhere and the seed supplier said we should spray or pull in the early years.

Our soil was too rich but after cutting and collecting for several years it's much better now.

As said it's Pictorial Meadows woodland edge, so nothing like a hay meadow, it's mostly primroses, cowslips, bluebells forget me nots, wild garlic and red campion at the moment- but yarrow, acquilega, wild sage, honesty and foxgloves next.

MereDintofPandiculation · 08/05/2023 09:32

cathyandclare · 07/05/2023 20:47

Fat hen, field bindweed and nettles. We could have left them, but they were everywhere and the seed supplier said we should spray or pull in the early years.

Our soil was too rich but after cutting and collecting for several years it's much better now.

As said it's Pictorial Meadows woodland edge, so nothing like a hay meadow, it's mostly primroses, cowslips, bluebells forget me nots, wild garlic and red campion at the moment- but yarrow, acquilega, wild sage, honesty and foxgloves next.

Sorry, hadn’t noticed woodland edge. That should be self sustaining too, eventually. Agree you need to get rid of the nettles. Were the fat hen and field bindweed part of the mix, or were they a contribution from your garden? I ask, because I think of them as preferring a lighter soil to the rest you mention.

shame to have to get rid of the bindweed - such a lovely fragrance. I’ve tried to introduce it to my garden, but it’s too wet and shady. I can only manage hedge bindweed Sad

cathyandclare · 08/05/2023 09:36

Not part of the mix, I think it came from some top soil that we added when redoing the garden. We sprayed weeded and prepared the soil, then like absolute numpties, did a final rotivate which reactivated all the dormant weeds!

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