That sounds like a good idea. Do you have any photos of the kind of thing you mean? I'm finding it hard to imagine in my head. So I would just plant loads of bulbs randomly and then lay ordinary lawn turf? Then just enjoy random sprouts of flowers from May?
The main downside with a wildflower meadow in the traditional sense is the flowers are quite short-lived. They look amazing in spring, but less so by this time in late summer and they do need quite a lot of work to keep them flowering (you have to rake off all the mowings when you cut it). I'd maybe go for a mix of native perennials growing in longer grass with short mown paths or a lawn area to give it structure. The bulbs can be scattered along the edges of the paths/lawn with taller perennials behind like cow parsley, ox eye daisies, knapweed, cranesbill geraniums, verbascum, achilleas, toadflax, etc and perhaps a few larger shrubs back under your trees. Foxgloves are a must, although not perennial they will persist. You can get a longer flowering period with perennials and they take less looking after, on the whole, than the field annuals.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
That sounds like a good idea. Do you have any photos of the kind of thing you mean? I'm finding it hard to imagine in my head. So I would just plant loads of bulbs randomly and then lay ordinary lawn turf? Then just enjoy random sprouts of flowers from May?
Paul, if I were you I would sow the seed soon, from about now until the middle of September. I don't know where you live but if in the north I would do it in the next couple of weeks. Go for a general mix containing fescues and clovers and not too much rye grass (less than 50%). You can get native mixtures but they are hard to come by and fairly expensive. You could plant bulbs just before or when you sow. You could also plant in primroses, cowslips and wild violets as you do this. You may need to water if the hot dry weather continues. Early September is an excellent time to sow grass seed and you will have a lawn by next spring. AS to placement of the flowers and bulbs, I would plant in groups of the same and just see how you like it when they flower; you can always move them about to get the look you are after.
Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
I'm intrigued - what kind of shape do you have in mind re the quadrant? Do you mean leaving the whole area above the patio to borders? The soil in the top right is particularly poor
Something like this (only not wobbly - that's my rubbish computer drawing skills)
There are lots of things that will cope with poor soil better than lawn would, including wild flowers (they don't have to have grass mixed in, and can look tidier without - like the pic that karen paul posted)
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Would you consider planting the whole area with perennials and bulbs, using bark as both mulch and for stepping on to get to the plants? I have removed all the grass from my small front garden and done it, I love it.
Do you need a lawn? Create a meandering path and plant up the rest?
I like this idea too, a path either paved or of grass. You could plant shade lovers under the shrubs/hawthorns...foxgloves, violets, campion and primroses. A mix of cornfield annuals and native perennials in the sunnier parts. How exciting having a blank canvas like that!!
It is great having a blank canvas but I'm slightly paralysed in my decision making!
Path is a good idea but in reality might look a bit odd in quite a small space. We have a small gravel seating area just out of site facing the house and I can't picture how it would meander in this space where I still need access to existing border on left.
I think I'll probably be boring and stick with a small square patch of lawn where you can see a square space in the middle, but will get some life into the lawn and the borders through bulbs etc.
I'm particularly keen to get some plants under those hawthorns as it's a pile of soil currently.
Foxgloves, violets, champions and primroses it is then. Anything else? I'm a complete beginner but should I begin planting all these asap?
I should add that the hawthorns are going to stay as wildlife is obviously a key objective. Would you put another Hawthorn in the top right and complete the row or stick a different tree/plant in? That's another obvious bare space at the moment
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I'd maybe go for a mix of native perennials growing in longer grass with short mown paths or a lawn area to give it structure. The bulbs can be scattered along the edges of the paths/lawn with taller perennials behind like cow parsley, ox eye daisies, knapweed, cranesbill geraniums, verbascum, achilleas, toadflax, etc and perhaps a few larger shrubs back under your trees. Foxgloves are a must, although not perennial they will persist.
You can get a longer flowering period with perennials and they take less looking after, on the whole, than the field annuals.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
It is great having a blank canvas but I'm slightly paralysed in my decision making!
Path is a good idea but in reality might look a bit odd in quite a small space. We have a small gravel seating area just out of site facing the house and I can't picture how it would meander in this space where I still need access to existing border on left.
I think I'll probably be boring and stick with a small square patch of lawn where you can see a square space in the middle, but will get some life into the lawn and the borders through bulbs etc.
I'm particularly keen to get some plants under those hawthorns as it's a pile of soil currently.
Foxgloves, violets, champions and primroses it is then. Anything else? I'm a complete beginner but should I begin planting all these asap?