How To Create and Maintain Wildflower and Ornamental Flowering Meadows

What is a wildflower meadow?

Wildflower: A flower of an uncultivated variety or a flower growing freely without human intervention
Meadow: A piece of grassland, especially one used for hay

The word meadow is traditionally used to describe an area of grassland that is used to produce a hay crop, or which could be used for grazing animals. The phrase wildflower meadow is used to distinguish these grasslands when they are flower rich. Sometimes the phrase wildflower meadow is used to describe an area that has been sown with ornamental flowers. The differences between a wildflower meadow and an ornamental flowering meadow are described below:

Wildflower meadows

Wildflower meadows exist semi-naturally in the UK and support a range of wildlife that has evolved in conjunction with this habitat. Wildflower meadows develop in part because of underlying ground conditions; for example, they are often located in areas with a thin layer of topsoil which is nutrient poor. Management of the meadow for grazing or for hay cutting also influences the floristic richness that develops. A wildflower meadow contains native plant species that are likely to be well adapted to the local environmental conditions and can provide a benefit to native plants and wildlife which have established in the same environment.

Ornamental flowering meadows

Ornamental flowering meadows provide an alternative to traditional wildflower meadows in areas where a long lasting and attractive flowering display is a high priority. Unlike wildflower meadows, an ornamental flowering meadow might contain non-native and cultivated flowering species often selected for their visual appeal. As well as their aesthetic value, many ornamental wildflower meadow mixes will deliver environmental benefits through providing a food source for pollinating insects as well as a habitat for small mammals and invertebrates.

How to create a wildflower meadow?

Meadow planning

Meadow type

First consider which type of meadow you would like to create depending on the attributes of your site and your objectives:

Wildflower meadows	Ornamental flowering meadows
Mimic existing semi-natural habitats	Have a long flowering period
Can be established on poor soils	Can be established on sites with higher nutrient levels
Often contain grasses	Do not contain grasses
Contain only native grasses and wildflowers	Can contain non-native or cultivated ornamental plant species

Soil nutrient levels

It is particularly important to understand the soil properties if your intention is to create a wildflower meadow. Ornamental flowering meadow mixtures can tolerate most soil types but prefer soils which can retain some moisture. Wildflower meadows containing annual wildflower species are also able to cope with slightly higher nutrient levels in the soil. Wildflower meadows containing perennial wildflower species require soils with low nutrient levels as these favour less vigorous plants and enable a greater species diversity to develop. Low levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the soil are of particular importance for creating species diverse wildflower meadows.

Nitrogen

The amount of nitrogen in the soil is difficult to measure accurately because nitrogen is a particularly mobile nutrient with the plant available forms, nitrate (NO3-) and ammonium (NH4+) fluctuating considerably over short periods of time. Nitrogen levels are therefore often estimated based on known contributing factors such as soil texture and previous site use. As a guide, silt, loam and clay soils are more likely to retain nitrogen over time than sandy soils. In addition, a recent history of cultivation or fertilisation of the site is likely to result in high nitrogen levels which may need to be reduced before a species rich wildflower meadow can be established successfully.

Phosphorus

High levels of soil phosphorus promote growth of competitive grass species at the expense of wildflowers. Existing semi-natural wildflower meadows that are flower rich tend to have low soil phosphorus levels (soil index 1-2). When trying to establish a wildflower meadow at a new site, it is preferable if soil phosphorus levels are below soil index 2 (16 mg/l).

Soil moisture

It is always important that soils can supply sufficient moisture to support plant growth. This can be achieved on a variety of soil types; however, specific mixes are more suitable for soils or sites which are prone to being wet. For example, soils with a high clay content, wetland sites or pond edge sites.

Light

Most wildflower meadows and ornamental flowering meadows are located in areas which receive a good amount of sunlight. If a site is particularly shady, a specialist seed mix designed for shady conditions will be required containing species which are adapted to low light levels.

Site preparation

Decide whether the seeds will be sown into a newly prepared seedbed or whether they will be overseeded* into an existing grassland to increase species diversity.

New Seed Bed	Overseeding
Remove unwanted vegetation Cultivate the soil to a depth of 150 mm removing stones and debris Level, then firm the seedbed Rake the surface to produce a fine tilth	Cut the grass as short as possible and remove the clippings Remove excess thatch to allow the seed to reach the soil surface If compacted, aerate the soil
If there has been little rainfall irrigate gently and slowly to fully wet through the soil profile. For overseeding, use 100% wildflower mixes containing perennial species.

Seed sowing

Timing

In general, ornamental flowering meadow seeds are best sown in the spring. Annual wildflower meadow seeds can be sown in the autumn and perennial wildflower meadow seeds in late summer/autumn. Both types of wildflower meadow seeds can also be sown in the spring if conditions are unsuitable in the autumn, for example, if waterlogged conditions over the winter are expected.

Application window
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Perennial wildflower meadow
Annual wildflower meadow
Ornamental flowering meadow

Sowing

Use the correct sowing rate for the seed mix and sow seeds evenly either by hand or using a seed spreader or drill. Because sowing rates for wildflower seed are low, it is usually helpful to mix the seed with a carrier material such as slightly damp sand. Ensure good seed to soil contact by pressing the seeds into the soil using a roller or the back of a rake or by irrigating with a fine spray after sowing. Keep the soil surface moist but not overly wet until the seeds have germinated AND established. When supplementary irrigation is required be sure to irrigate slowly and gently to avoid disturbing the seeds.

Management & Aftercare

Perennial wildflower meadows: Livestock grazing

Grazing with livestock is an effective method of managing perennial wildflower meadows and grasslands because it creates uneven growth and distribution of species which leads to habitat niches. Grazing is also a good option in areas where it is difficult to utilise machinery, perhaps because it is too wet or because the ground is too rough.

Suggested grazing regime for perennial wildflower meadows
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Graze if ground conditions allow		Remove livestock to allow the plants to flower					Graze between 0.4-1 LU/ha

Perennial wildflower meadows: Mowing

Mowing and removing the clippings can be used to replicate the process of hay cutting and grazing. It is important to remove clippings to avoid nutrients being returned to the soil. Soils for wildflowers are usually low in nutrients to encourage species diversity.

Suggested mowing regime for perennial wildflower meadows
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Leave uncut unless growth is vigorous		Cut and collect clippings	Allow to flower and seed				Cut and collect clippings		Leave uncut unless growth is vigorous

Annual wildflower meadows

Cornfield annuals need disturbed ground to stimulate germination of fallen seed. After flowering leave plants long enough for seeds to drop. Preferably wait until the spring before cultivating the ground to avoid leaving bare soil over winter. Cultivating the soil may stimulate growth of fallen seed but it may be necessary to supplement with further sowing in subsequent years.

Suggested management regime for annual flowering meadows
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Leave uncut until spring		Cut and collect clippings and cultivate soil	Leave soil bare to allow germination and/or sow new seed		Allow to flower and seed				Leave uncut until spring

Ornamental flowering meadows

Ornamental flowering meadows can be managed in a similar way to annual wildflower meadows except that the fallen seeds are much less likely to germinate in the following year. This is because non-native wildflower species are often used in ornamental flowering meadows and these are less likely to produce viable seeds in the UK. However, ornamental flowering meadows can be re-sown each year, effectively treating the land as a cultivated area.

Suggested management regime for ornamental flowering meadows
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Leave uncut until spring		Cut and collect clippings and cultivate soil	Leave soil bare to allow germination and/or sow new seed		Allow to flower and seed				Leave uncut until spring

Follow through for further information on the specific Wildflower Seed Mixtures we have available.

Authored by Abigail Graceson