holliebabes Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 hi guys,i am reasonably experienced at gardening,and know that to plant a wild flower meadow i need to do the preparation first.but i have a large area,very stoney and full of various grasses and it would be impossible to prepare.can i cover with membrane for the winter to starve the grass and then top with compost and then sow the wildflower seeds in spring????.it would be impossible to rotivate the area or dig over as it is too large.i am not looking to cheat,i know gardening is hard work,but i just want to make it look pretty for next year.any suggestions i would be grateful.also on a limit for time and money!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gastines Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 On the verges on several main routes into ST.Malo ,they plant masses of wild flower seeds.In the summer they look spectacular and I suppose they self seed.Regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Framboise Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Wildflowers love disturbed soil, hence why poppies grew on battlefields so readily. They don't mind rotten soil particularly, stones or whatever, but I don't think they are especially keen on rich soils as you'll get more foliage than flowers.Just dig it over, rake out the worst lumps, sprinkle your seeds and wait for springtime!I bought some meadow flower seeds in Wilkinsons in UK - very cheap & cheerful - but those daisies on my avatar are an example of what popped up. Ours is going to be mown but with drifts of wildflowers, that is, when I get around to it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Next year one of the things that I'm planning on is having visits to my land / garden so if anyone is near south Vienne I will be providing more information soon.So, it really does depend on what you are trying to achieve, personally I have been working on my project for some years and it is really based on as many native species of plant / flower that I can get to grow that would "normally" be in this region, not so much the "plants of cultivation" as all the plants that once established will look after themselves with a bit of management. For preparing an area I use anything that I can get my hands on, metal sheets, cardboard, old swimming pool covers, in fact anything that is going free and is going to be thrown away. Cover now and remove in early spring if it's seeds you are sowing.[IMG]http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q73/unautremonde/Flowers%20and%20Plants/ground-clearance.jpg[/IMG]Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Whatever you do, don't use compost. Wild flowers need an impoverished soil - nutrient-poor. In order to remove nutrients from the soil you can first of all sow loads of a plant called yellow rattle, then when it dies back sow your wildflower seed mix.M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Yellow rattle also helps to weaken the grass and thus leave space for the flowers. Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Framboise Posted October 13, 2007 Share Posted October 13, 2007 Gardener's World next Friday night is doing a feature on wildflower meadow planting. 9pm French time! [I] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holliebabes Posted October 13, 2007 Author Share Posted October 13, 2007 thank-you all for your advice and comments.i will be in the garden and giving it all a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phylisbide Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 Have seen in our local FranceRurale a box of seed with wild flowere in - includes a wide variety including cosmos. On my travels around have noticed occasional small pastures near the roadside which are a mass of flower and soooo pretty - think they might be from the same source? Perhaps you could rake the grass to expose the soil and sow some of the seed mix? Worth a try perhaps. Phylis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
londoneye Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 I have pondered a few times a camomile lawn, because I had understood that you don't have to mow it (!), but I am not really sure what effect it gives, how high it grows etc. Has anyone tried this ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 ""Have seen in our local FranceRurale a box of seed with wild flowere in - includes a wide variety including cosmos. On my travels around have noticed occasional small pastures near the roadside which are a mass of flower and soooo pretty - think they might be from the same source?""Sorry, not wild flowers but "Jachere Fleurie", we had a discussion some while back about this, it's a con by the hunting associations to pretend how well looked after the countryside is (not)... just about a total waste of space...Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesnelay Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 Hi Londoneye - if you have a look at www.camomilelawns.co.uk it does give information about the two different types of plants. I was considering a camomile lawn until I found out the costs of the plants, and then decided to opt for a 2 metre strip alongside a garden bench next spring! Good hunting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Normandie Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 If you have any bee keepers near you - as we do - they will be very grateful for any additional flowers growing - there just aren't enough!In fact I've heard that they can provide you with seeds for planting as it will be to their benefit too - sorry I don't have any weblinks/addresses to hand as I guess it takes place at a local level. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
londoneye Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 Thanks Chesnelay. This was pretty much what I want to do here, essentially fill a gap (where very poor soil exists) between a flower bed and a patio, because it is an area a little inaccessible for our ride-on mower (ie, my big new(ish) toy).Will have a look, as cost may not be prohibitive for this area. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
londoneye Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 Hmm, I have just worked out how much I would need - sufficient to cover around 15 sq metres I think - sadly too pricy for me; might have to revise that plan. The website is good though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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