How I Design and Create Wildflower Meadows
Talk of wild flower meadows conjure up a romantic vision of flower filled fields on summer days, buzzing with bees and chirping with Grasshoppers.
The cornflower & poppy dappled grassland is not a 'natural phenomenon' but a result of early farming methods which have all but disappeared as agriculture has become more intensive. Although not a natural environment it is clear that the flower rich meadow habitat is an ideal home for wildlife, and it's loss has taken a huge toll on our native flora and fauna. Farmers are now being encouraged to develop meadow like strips to be created along field edges to allow a home to wildlife and also develop corridors to allow wildlife to move from one area to another.
The reintroduction on wild flower meadow needn't be purely the task of farmers. Private gardens in the UK cover as much as 10 millions acres and converting just a small percentage of this green space into rich wild flower meadow would have a dramatic effect on the biodiversity of the country.
Creating an area in a garden large or small is easy and will not only be beneficial to wildlife, but create a beautiful naturalistic display which can be so good for our own wellbeing.
Naturalistic grassland
The most simple approach to creating a wild meadow in a garden is to limit mowing of a lawn, to allow it to grow to it's natural height and let 'weeds' aka wild flowers to grow, establish and flower. It can be surprising just how many plants appear once lawn is left to grow long. It is a simple and effective method, however, the decorative display can be disappointing over time especially if the grass takes control and smothers the flower species.
Seeding wild flower meadows
Wild flowers naturally grow on poor soils and can be quick to establish on bare ground which has not been previously cultivated. Sowing a wildflower seed mix as a low input method but can it can take years to create the desired meadow and from experience I have found that the diversity of species can wane, with one or two plants dominating the area and choking out the more desirable plants.
Wild flower meadow turf
My preferred option when creating meadows in garden environments, using specially created wild flower meadow turf, it gives very rapid results, is easy to install and establish. There are several suppliers of meadow turf in the UK, and numerous 'mixes' to choose from , which provide a diversity of colour, interest and wildlife appeal. I favor Wildflowerturf.co.uk who were the first company to develop a meadow turf, and they have significant experience of creating domestic an commercial meadows.
Meadow turf can be used to create a distinct area of meadow, or laid alongside standard lawn turf to create a meadow area within a new or established lawn. The turf can even be used in containers, anywhere there is space, meadow can be grown to help our wildlife and increase biodiversity.
Meadow is low maintenance too, one or 2 cuts each year will tidy and keep the meadow healthy.
Above are a couple of our latest projects using meadow turf. A simple to install and low cost option for gardens which will benefit not only the clients but nature too.
If you are interested in creating a wildflower meadow in your garden, please get in touch here
