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Sowing wildflowers into lawn

Matty_PMatty_P Posts: 64
in Plants
Hi all,

I'm planning to renovate our lawn this spring, scarivate and reseed. However, I would also like to sow a strip of wild flowers along one edge of the lawn. I'm guessing I need to treat this strip differently to the rest of the lawn. For example, should I scarivate this strip but only sow the wildflowers and no grass seed? If the wildflower strip is bare soil in winter I may not put any wildflowers along the lawn and sow them in borders instead. Ideally would have wildflowers in summer and ryegrass in winter but I don't think this is possible? Thanks for the help
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  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    I think it depends on how strong the grass is to begin with. If the grass is thick and grows well then it's much harder to establish anything in it, so you would need to make sure there is plenty of soil visible for the seeds to have a chance and not be out competed.  We had this problem with our grass, which we thought was very poor, but the seeds I sowed just didn't compete and the only way I could introduce plants was to grow them as plugs first. This has worked with some varieties but others just haven't colonised and our grass isn't particularly strong growing. 
  • Matty_PMatty_P Posts: 64
    Ok thanks for the information. I think I might stick to the wild flowers in the borders this year and see how that goes and try to get the grass back as it's moss ridden right now. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I think many people expect wildflowers to be an easy option, but it's not always the case. They have to suit your soil and conditions, so that's the first thing to check, regardless of where you want to have them @Matty_P , and then you may have to wait a long time for things to establish, and you may lose ones that you'd like to have as they can get out competed by other, stronger growing plants.
    If the grass is very mossy, it suggests it could be shady and wet, so you'd have to pick suitable plants for that kind of site   :)

    In rich soil, they'll often do worse than in poor soil, so you may have to look at that before you choose, and as @thevictorian says, it can be far better to sow seed in trays or pots, and get them to the small plant size, and then plant out. Sowing direct can be very hit and miss. You might have to experiment a good bit too.
    Good luck though - hope you find a good method     :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Matty_PMatty_P Posts: 64
    Thanks Fairygirl, they're certainly marketed as an easy option. Scatter them out and off you go but yes I'm sure you're right. I'm happy to throw a little money at it and see what happens if anything. All gardening is a bit of an experiment for me at the moment will little experience. 
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    We have generally, poor sandy soil here and still struggled, especially because we are normally the driest area of the country. Clovers were the easiest to get going as well as other plants with tap roots, like cats ears. 
    The plug plants that established best were red clover, achillea, self heal and birds foot trefoil. 

    You may like to experiment and I'm sure you will find species that do work. I will also add that bulbs can be great. They are easy to plant and if you use a lot of spring bulbs they are up before the grass is growing. We have a couple of hundred crocus, about 100 daffs and a few tulips in ours and I also plan to get some allium in there next autumn for summer colour.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited 24 February
    There are many companies that offer wildflower turf or meadow mat. One option might be to cut it to fit your strip. If going for that option, I would go for a mat containing no grasses.




  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    You might be lucky and some will spread from the borders to the grass.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    You could also try, and it's probably best to before anything else if you really want a wildflower meadow, sowing yellow rattle. It is parasitic and feeds on grass, weakening the grass and allowing other species to colonise the area.

    A link just as a description

    https://www.naturescape.co.uk/product/yellow-rattle/#:~:text=Yellow rattle plants are an,of 3 after mowing grass. 
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    @thevictorian we have tried for many years to sow yellow rattle in areas in our orchard with other wildflowers. Never had any germination. We have followed all the advice but to no avail. A great pity as they are such good plants to weaken the grass as you say.
  • Matty_PMatty_P Posts: 64
    thevictorian said:
    We have generally, poor sandy soil here and still struggled, especially because we are normally the driest area of the country. Clovers were the easiest to get going as well as other plants with tap roots, like cats ears. 
    The plug plants that established best were red clover, achillea, self heal and birds foot trefoil. 

    You may like to experiment and I'm sure you will find species that do work. I will also add that bulbs can be great. They are easy to plant and if you use a lot of spring bulbs they are up before the grass is growing. We have a couple of hundred crocus, about 100 daffs and a few tulips in ours and I also plan to get some allium in there next autumn for summer colour.
    Thanks, that's a good idea. We have bulbs in the borders but hasn't thought to put them in the grass. 
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