Why would you want to create a wildflower area

A. There are plenty of good reasons to let part of your garden go wild.

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Wild flowers used to be a common site, but with modern farming methods and the gradual creep of housing development in rural areas, many of these previously abundant natural beauties are rarely seen.�By sowing them you are aiding in their survival as well as creating an attractive feature. A wildflower meadow is a natural draw for butterflies and other wildlife and for the lazier or hardest pressed of us has the great advantage of needing less care and attention than a formal lawn or border.

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A. No, not necessarily. Obviously creating a wildflower meadow is an excellent way of dealing with a big space, perhaps one that has already gone to grass and would require a good deal of work to covert to a managed garden. However, wildflowers can be excellent as margins around paths or by streams or artificial water features or along the sides of paths, perhaps linking one part of the garden to another.

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They are a good and easy option for that corner you just can't get right or as part of a large formal lawn. You could even create a miniature wildflower meadow in a window box!

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A. Like most things preparation is the key. Wildflowers flourish in poorer soil,�in rich soil the more vigorous types of grasses tend to take over. If you have quite rich conditions it may be necessary to get rid of the top two or three inches of topsoil, and it is also important to get rid of perennial weeds and those dominant, coarse grasses before sewing, be it manually or by using a selective glysophate-based spray.

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A. Autumn is the best time to sow while the soil is still nice and warm, but spring is also perfectly suitable. There are now quite a few suppliers who do ready prepared seed mixes that include flowers and fine, non-invasive grasses, many of which can be found on the Internet. Be sure to know what your conditions are, i.e. sun or shade, clay or chalk soil etc, to ensure you pick the right mix.

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