Help me come up with ideas for my sad alley way

[Gruffporcupine]

Hoping some MNetters can help me come up with a plan for the private alley that runs down the side of my end terrace. It's privately owned by all the houses that have garages backing onto it, including mine. It has low footfall and people do drive through it to access their garages from time to time. It is frequented by foxes and the neighbourhood cats.

Right now, it's a sad looking and quite cut up track with decent enough but spotty grass coverage. There are brambles and blackberries too. I've noticed that some wild daisies have come up and it makes it look so much better.

I was thinking about scattering some wild flower seeds to encourage wild life and make the road look pretty. Thing is I have literally no gardening knowledge and am a bit overwhelmed by Googling. Does anyone have any recommendations of what seeds to scatter that would take, and when? The path gets some sun but is partly in shade. I want something pretty, low effort, and hard wearing!

Wild flower seed is actually surprisingly hard to get results from, especially in shade. Grass will likely simply swamp it.

In partial shade, you could plant things like violets (which should naturalise and spread) or vinca (periwinkle). You'd plant little plants, not seeds, but they will be so much more likely to take.

If you are absolutely set on seeds, then you can buy shade-specific mixes, or things like foxgloves, which ought to spread once established.

If there is enough space along the edges I would buy a big packet of crocus bulbs. The bulbs are only little so don’t need much space. They need no attention once they’re in and are always a welcome sight when they pop up.

I have a grass bank outside my house that doesn’t belong to anyone. Every year since we moved in I’ve bought a cheap packet of crocus from Tesco and put them in randomly. 5th year now so building up and they look great.

Thank you! I've had a look and I think these could look pretty. Fingers crossed they spread

Perfect. Exactly the kind of thing I want. Just livens things up a bit for everyone doesn't it

How about a few wild primrose plug plants?

Google plant swaps in your area or gardening or community groups on Facebook for free plants that people are giving away. Where I live (moderate sized city) we have lots of plant swap/gardening related events across gardening groups/community gardens/organic gardening etc.,

I've often given away seeds and plants that I have self-seeded such as foxgloves, primrose, crocosmia, aquilegia, hollyhock, borage, Japanese anemone, white and red campion etc., All these don't need much attention other than the watering in drought or once a week in the summer.

I agree about wild flower germinating is super hard as the growing conditions are very tricky depending on climate, soil etc.,

Another thought, you could get some clover seed and sprinkle it over the patchy grass. It’s no more bother than the grass and the bees love the flowers. It’ll spread to fill the gaps.
Most of my back lawn is clover now, it’ll be mostly in shade between now April and grass doesn’t do well. It’s much better than the mud bath I had before.

We have a similar set up to the OP and have a lot of Clover and because of that we get a lot of bees too. So much better than grass