Annual wildflower mixes are a great introduction to wild gardening. Results are near instant and much of the “design” has been prefabbed in the ratio of the seed mix.
The main thing to understand about annual wildflowers is they are opportunists that arise to heal disturbed sites after fire, digging or drought. They need soil preparation to succeed. You cannot just don a diaphanous gown and, like Botticelli’s Flora, sashay with your sachet, flinging seed hither and thither across your Kikuyu ridden lawn and expect success.
Before the widespread use of herbicides, European corn fields were semi-wild landscapes of annual wildflowers among the Wheat and Barley.
Farmers’ despair, gardeners’ delight. What you as a gardener need to do is mimic the farmers of old and plough that field or at least dig over your patch. Let competing weeds germinate then dig again. A packet of Diggers Cornfield mix of Barley, Cornflower Poppies reflects the iconic “Flanders field.” Sow the seed in late autumn with the local farmers who have an eye for the opening rains; or after the last frost at the end of winter. Planting in rows allows control of some of the more aggressive grassy weeds but please squiggle your rows to keep the natural feel.
Some tufting grassy weeds are OK but show no mercy to running grasses like Kikuyu. In an organic garden this means thorough removal.
Our meadow flowers from spring to early summer but by February, without additional irrigation, it is time for it to be brush cut. It is then mown and rested before preparation and resowing in autumn.
In the 3 years the meadow has been trialled we have added a matrix of perennial plants such as Meadow Sage, Iris and Agastache as well as biennials like Foxglove and Hollyhock, these have a sense of permanence.
