Sowing Wildflower Seeds

Sowing an annual mix of wild flowers is an easy way to enjoy the beauty of a meadow in your garden. 

It has been a very cold spring so there is still time to sow some seeds before the beginning of June. There are some lovely mixes of annual pictorial meadows and we have sown one in the long narrow borders adjacent to the Ox Barn. Here it will create a gorgeous swathe of delicate flowers that form a lovely contrast to the formal box topiary balls. We have chosen a mix with red poppies, blue cornflowers and white umbellifers which has a very classical and rather patriotic feel, perfect in this Coronation year.

Select Your Space: 

Choose an open sunny spot of bare soil to sow your seeds. It is important for it to be free of any grasses and weeds. 

Soil Preparation:

Once the soil surface has been cleared, create an even seed bed with a loose granular structure that the seeds can easily penetrate. 

To do this, walk over the surface of the soil by rubbing the soil between your boots, whilst firming up the ground below. 

For a flat and smooth seed bed, walk in opposite directions across the soil.

Sowing the Seeds: 

Measure out the area where the seeds will be sown and weigh the required amount of seeds as per instructions. It is best to sow by hand and if you mix the seeds with sand (about 5 parts sand to one part seeds) it will help with even distribution.

Firm the seeds into the soil with a roller or the back of your spade

The germination time will all depend on the temperature, light and rain but should be within about ten days. 

Once, all these steps have been completed, make yourself a cup of tea and wait for your little seedlings to arrive!