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Looking for tips on creating wildflower area

esd123esd123 Posts: 21
in Plants
Hi everyone, 

I really want to create a sort of wildflower border in my garden, along the front of my pine  trees, separating the area of trees from the mowed grass. 

I don't know where to start with this. Should I dig now and put seeds down? Or should I create a no dig bed ready for planting the seeds in spring? 

I have some packs of cornfield mix wildflower seeds, and some cornflower seeds.. 

I'm keen to hear your tips! :)

Posts

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Hi, what kind of soil are you on? What is the sun/shade like on the bed?
  • McRazzMcRazz Posts: 440
    edited September 2022
    September and March are the perfect time(s) to sow a new wildflower border, so you've definitely chosen the right window of opportunity.

    I would, however recommend a perennial wildflower border (aka meadow) if you can be convinced. Its hard work but infinitely more rewarding and doesn't require weeding, digging over and re-seeding every year like an annual border would...

    If not, Cornfield mixtures are usually sown at around 2g per m2, so measure your area, weigh your seed, then add a bulking agent to your seed so you can handle it easily. Typically fine sawdust or washed horticultural sand is good for this as its cheap and you can see where you've thrown the seed! Mixing ratios of the bulking agent are whatever suits you but as a minimum I'd opt for 10/1. Once mixed, split it in half, sow one half over the entire area, then get the other half and sow straight over the top...that way you don't accidentally throw too much down all at once and waste it. 

    You can tread it in if you like, I don't. Then just let nature take its course. Keep pigeons off if possible. 

    If the soil is too nutrient rich then there will be lots of weeds and grasses, and some of the annuals may not perform as well - But that's another rabbit hole you can go down regarding meadow science and establishment. http://www.magnificentmeadows.org.uk/

    Loads of resources online and if you want more seed then Emorsgate are by far the best suppliers out there https://wildseed.co.uk/product/mixtures/complete-mixtures/cornfield-annuals-complete-mixtures/standard-cornfield-mixture/



  • esd123esd123 Posts: 21
    McRazz said:
    September and March are the perfect time(s) to sow a new wildflower border, so you've definitely chosen the right window of opportunity.

    I would, however recommend a perennial wildflower border (aka meadow) if you can be convinced. Its hard work but infinitely more rewarding and doesn't require weeding, digging over and re-seeding every year like an annual border would...

    If not, Cornfield mixtures are usually sown at around 2g per m2, so measure your area, weigh your seed, then add a bulking agent to your seed so you can handle it easily. Typically fine sawdust or washed horticultural sand is good for this as its cheap and you can see where you've thrown the seed! Mixing ratios of the bulking agent are whatever suits you but as a minimum I'd opt for 10/1. Once mixed, split it in half, sow one half over the entire area, then get the other half and sow straight over the top...that way you don't accidentally throw too much down all at once and waste it. 

    You can tread it in if you like, I don't. Then just let nature take its course. Keep pigeons off if possible. 

    If the soil is too nutrient rich then there will be lots of weeds and grasses, and some of the annuals may not perform as well - But that's another rabbit hole you can go down regarding meadow science and establishment. http://www.magnificentmeadows.org.uk/

    Loads of resources online and if you want more seed then Emorsgate are by far the best suppliers out there https://wildseed.co.uk/product/mixtures/complete-mixtures/cornfield-annuals-complete-mixtures/standard-cornfield-mixture/



    Thank you very much! It doesn't have to be the cornfield mix - that's just what I happen to have picked up already as an impulse buy - I am definitely open to suggestions.

    Something which naturally takes care of itself would be ideal! The idea is to create something which looks natural and pretty around my trees, so I don't need to strim closely around them, and is good for the bees and butterflies!

    Would you still recommend the same technique for different types of seed mixtures?
  • esd123esd123 Posts: 21
    Fire said:
    Hi, what kind of soil are you on? What is the sun/shade like on the bed?
    I am just learning so not entirely sure about soil yet, but I think it is quite loamy? And i'd say it's a partially shaded area of the garden..
  • McRazzMcRazz Posts: 440
    edited September 2022
    esd123 said:
    McRazz said:
    September and March are the perfect time(s) to sow a new wildflower border, so you've definitely chosen the right window of opportunity.

    I would, however recommend a perennial wildflower border (aka meadow) if you can be convinced. Its hard work but infinitely more rewarding and doesn't require weeding, digging over and re-seeding every year like an annual border would...

    If not, Cornfield mixtures are usually sown at around 2g per m2, so measure your area, weigh your seed, then add a bulking agent to your seed so you can handle it easily. Typically fine sawdust or washed horticultural sand is good for this as its cheap and you can see where you've thrown the seed! Mixing ratios of the bulking agent are whatever suits you but as a minimum I'd opt for 10/1. Once mixed, split it in half, sow one half over the entire area, then get the other half and sow straight over the top...that way you don't accidentally throw too much down all at once and waste it. 

    You can tread it in if you like, I don't. Then just let nature take its course. Keep pigeons off if possible. 

    If the soil is too nutrient rich then there will be lots of weeds and grasses, and some of the annuals may not perform as well - But that's another rabbit hole you can go down regarding meadow science and establishment. http://www.magnificentmeadows.org.uk/

    Loads of resources online and if you want more seed then Emorsgate are by far the best suppliers out there https://wildseed.co.uk/product/mixtures/complete-mixtures/cornfield-annuals-complete-mixtures/standard-cornfield-mixture/



    Thank you very much! It doesn't have to be the cornfield mix - that's just what I happen to have picked up already as an impulse buy - I am definitely open to suggestions.

    Something which naturally takes care of itself would be ideal! The idea is to create something which looks natural and pretty around my trees, so I don't need to strim closely around them, and is good for the bees and butterflies!

    Would you still recommend the same technique for different types of seed mixtures?
    The technique would largely remain the same. Dependant on mixtures your application rates may vary.

    @fire's initial question is very pertinent. The aspect and soil type should influence your choice of seed/species. The Emorsgate link i shared previously has different seed mixes suited to woodland edges, clay soils, chalk soils etc. 

    Another option is wildflower plugs - You could grow these now in cells relatively inexpensively, or you could buy them direct from specialist suppliers. I think Monty might have done this, but he has deeper pockets than most of us!

    A perennial meadow won't naturally take care of itself insomuch that its a managed habitat so you'd still need to give it a twice yearly mow, once in the early spring and again in late summer. Other than that careful monitoring and occasional overseeing is all it would need (i collect Yellow Rattle from a wild patch yearly and hand plant the seeds in little swathes within my meadow as they can be a bit hit and miss in my small patch)

  • McRazzMcRazz Posts: 440
    edited September 2022
    esd123 said:
    Fire said:
    Hi, what kind of soil are you on? What is the sun/shade like on the bed?
    I am just learning so not entirely sure about soil yet, but I think it is quite loamy? And i'd say it's a partially shaded area of the garden..
    Loamy soils - https://wildseed.co.uk/product/mixtures/complete-mixtures/meadow-mixtures-for-specific-soils/meadow-mixture-for-loamy-soils/

    Partial shade - https://wildseed.co.uk/product-category/mixtures/hedge-and-woodland/

    General purpose - https://wildseed.co.uk/product/mixtures/complete-mixtures/general-purpose-meadow-mixtures/standard-general-purpose-meadow-mixture/
  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    If you are planting near trees and the area is a bit shaded this may not suit some wildflower seed mixes as they are aimed at open field type growing conditions with better light. I think some suppliers offer more shade tolerant mixtures but if you are new to gardening it may still be difficult to pick out the common weeds that will start growing at the same time as your seed mixture and in good nutrient conditions tend to dominate. It may be better just to plant up the area with some pre-grown ground cover plants that flower well and you can keep weed free as they get more established and eventually suppress weed growth themselves. Pulmonaria, Ajuga, Comfrey, Brunnera and some of the hardy geraniums might be options.

    Happy gardening!
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Cornfield flowers are just that - they need fertile, cultivated soil as in a cornfield.  Grow them by all means, but maybe in your other beds which will suit them better. The wild flowers you would find around pine trees will be different, as they are growing on thin, poor, probably acidic soils. For areas like this perennials are the way to go, as @McRazz has said.

    I have an old pine tree in my garden, growing on top of a grassy bank. I did a little research and planted just 3 plants originally, near the top of the bank, in the soil that was there. I chose Betony (Stachys officinalis) Knapweed (Centaurea nigra) and Agrimony (Agromonia eupatoria)  and left the grasses and other plants there untouched.

    Many years later they are till there and the betony and knapweed have spread to cover a much larger patch of ground below the bank. The agrimony has spread the least but is still happy. Other wild plants have come to join them - mallow, vetches, red clover, rib leaf plantain and various grasses and the knapweed has started to pop up in other places in the garden. The only maintenance needed has been the removal of the occasional invading nettle, dock or rush. Once established, no other weeding, mowing, watering or even cutting down has been necessary, they are just wild plants in a place that suits them. In the summer it is one of my favourite spots :)

    A similar combination might suit your situation or you might find other plants growing locally in similar positions that you would like to grow.

    You might also like to consider some small spring bulbs such as Scilla/Chionadoxa (recent name change) muscari, naturalisers  like Crocus.tomasianus or Tulipa sylvestris or even dwarf daffodils, to add some colour early in the year. Plant them at the top of a slope and they will seed downhill. The only care they need once planted is to be left in peace to die back after flowering before being mown, if you choose to do that.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    It's worth finding out of your soil is acidic and finding a specific seed mix for acid soils in partial shade. The dropping needles in themselves may have made a difference to the soil.
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