Flower meadowis an increasingly common element of gardens, replacing traditional lawns. Thanks to the flower meadow, the garden becomes idyllic and becomes an oasis for bees and other useful insects. But is it a good solution for everyone? Find out what areadvantages and disadvantages of flower meadows , how to chooseplant species for a flower meadowand when to sow the seeds of meadow plants. We advisehow to set up a flower meadowand how to care for and mow it.
Flower meadow
Fig. pixabay.com
What is a flower meadow?
A flower meadow is a free planting of flowering annual plants, perennials and grasses, imitating a natural meadowFlower meadows are established by sowing seed mixtures of various plant species. In gardens, a flower meadow can play a decorative role and be useful for bees and other pollinating insects. More and more often, flower meadows are established instead of traditional lawns.
A flower meadow can be plantedover a large area, but it can also be placed in place of a small bed or by sowing only a narrow strip of flowers along a fence or an existing lawn.The fashion for flower meadows meansthat they are put on even in small boxes and trays on balconies and terraces.
Advantages of flower meadows
Flower meadows have a number of advantagesBy setting up a flower meadow, we will make the garden more casual, less formal, idyllic, recalling the memories of natural meadows and former rural gardens.Above all, however,by establishing a flower meadow, we will lure useful beesand other pollinating insects and colorful butterflies into the garden. You should then install a house for beneficial insects near such a meadow, and it will surely find inhabitants.
Compared to a lawn, a flower meadow requires less care and less mowing(usually it is enough to mow 1 or 2 times a season), does not require fertilization and allows you to avoid spraying herbicides against weeds. It also does not require such intensive watering, which does not mean, however, that sometimes (especially in hot weather) you do not need to water the meadow.
Flower meadow
Fig. pixabay.com
From an environmental point of viewflower meadows absorb water better than regular lawns , helping to keep the soil moist. As the plants growing there are mowed less often and we allow them to grow higher, flower meadows prevent the soil from heating up strongly, and also favor air purification (they catch the dust that creates smog). These advantages of flower meadows take on special significancein the times of the climate crisis and the fight against global warming and shortages of drinking water.
Disadvantages of flower meadows
Flower meadows, however, also have some disadvantagesNot everyone is satisfied with such a free, informal and irregular nature of the garden.Usually allergy sufferers and people allergic to bee venom have to give up on flower meadowsIt should also be remembered that after flowering, plants that make up a flower meadow no longer look attractive, although sometimes they are better than neglected lawns. Another problem with flower meadows stems from the fact that mostly meadow plants are self-seeding.
A flower meadow growing near a traditional lawn can significantly increase the weed infestation , because the seeds of meadow flowers, carried by the wind, will automatically sow into the lawn.
Establishing a flower meadow in a highly urbanized area , in the vicinity of formal and modern gardens, with scrupulously pruned lawns and shrubs, we must be aware that what blooms beautifully for us and it is a refuge for useful insects, amphibians, birds and small animals, for our neighbors it can be a place from which weeds spread around the area.
Plant species for the flower meadow
Usually,when we set up a flower meadow, we want it to be a good quality benefit for bees and a flowering garden decorationfor the longest possible growing season. This effect will be easier to achieve by choosing the rightplant species for a flower meadow , both those that will bloom in spring, as well as those that bloom in summer, and sometimes even until autumn.
The selection of plant species for a flower meadowcan be very diverse. Flowering plants, such as cornflower, field poppy, tansy, yarrow, buttercup and chamomile play an ornamental function. These species should be supplemented with slow-growing grass species, such as red fescue or meadow grass, as well as legume plants, such as clover, lupine and vetch.
Flower meadow
Fig. pixabay.com
Plant species for a flower meadow should be selected taking into account the conditions at the selected site And so, in dry places, such species as: St. John's wort, gypsophila (gypsophila), arugula, spiky rotator, sand carnation, field kevis or meadow sage are good. In more wet places, it is worth sowing meadow geranium, meadow cress, knotweed, comfrey, forget-me-not and meadowsweet.
Field poppy is quite a peculiar species for a flower meadow.It is a beautiful decoration of a flower meadow, but unfortunately it does not tolerate mowing and therefore blooms only in the first year after sowing (until it is mowed). However, it is worth sowing it, because it will color the flower meadow in the first year, before other meadow species develop well.
Flower meadow
Fig. pixabay.com
Which seeds for a flower meadow?
Garden shops usually haveready-made seed mixtures for a flower meadowDue to the large variety of plant species found in them, it will be rather difficult for us to assess the composition of a seed mixture on our own.Therefore, in practice, we will have to follow the names and use of mixtures given on their packaging, as well as selectseeds for a flower meadow from well-known and reputable producersThis should guarantee us the right choice.
To make it easier for our readersto choose high-quality seeds for a flower meadowwe have introduced seeds for flower meadows to the store of KIEPENKERL - one of the best German producers with many years of experience and the effects of sowing individual mixtures can be viewed on display discounts.A personal review of the presented flower meadowswas made by Mr. Grzegorz Majda from our friend, the Green Ambulance Service, which you can see in the video below: -)
Among the seeds for a flower meadow available in our store you will find very convenient seeds in cans to facilitate sowing andseeds for a flower meadow in a rollThe latter are seeds on a tape, which you just need to spread out on the ground and watered.We do not have to care about the sowing density and we get a higher percentage of emergence. It is fantastically simple and allowsto set up flower meadows in the form of narrow strips of flowers(the width of the roll is 15 cm).
You can choosemixtures of meadow plant seeds of various heights , intended for the garden, as well as for balconies and terraces. You will also find specialized mixtures, such as seeds for a flower meadow that attract beneficial insects and eliminate pests, or seeds for a flower meadow resistant to weeds.
If you already decideto buy a seed mixture for a flower meadow , be sure to choose one from a good producer, with the composition specified on the packaging. I warn against buying cheap flower meadow seeds from supermarkets, which contain little flowers and a lot of grass. The visual effect will be just poor, and over time the grass will drown out the flowers.
When to sow a flower meadow
When we have selected seeds for sowing a flower meadow, it is worth considering the best datesowing date for meadow mixture .
Seeds for flower meadows are usually sown in spring , from mid-March to early June. When sowing in spring, we get a flowering meadow in the summer of the same year. Such a quick effect is an advantage of the spring date for sowing flower meadows and this is probably why most people choose this date. In springthe optimal date for sowing a flower meadow is April and MayIn this case, remember to keep the soil moist and watch out for weeds, which can sprout and outgrow faster than meadow plants.
For the latter reason, some specialists also recommendsowing a flower meadow in autumnThen it should be done in September, which will allow at least some of the meadow plants to sprout in the same autumn, and in spring they will grow faster than possible weeds.We do not do it in October, because then there is a high risk that the delicate seedlings that appear just before winter will freeze. You can alsosow a flower meadow in NovemberThen the seeds will lie until spring. This will be beneficial for plants that need supercooling in winter to germinate well.
Flower meadow
Fig. pixabay.com
Advantages of sowing flower meadows in autumn :
- Autumn sowing is in line with the natural cycle of life in nature (in autumn most of the plants already bloom and the seeds disperse naturally at this time).
- Some of the sown plants will sprout in autumn and start growing faster in spring.
- During autumn sowing, we minimize the risk of jamming meadow plants by weeds.
- After wintering, the flower meadow will bloom faster in spring and will be more lush.
- In autumn, the humidity conditions for seed germination are better (no more heat and more rainfall).
How to set up a flower meadow
Regardless of the chosen sowing date,the stand for the flower meadow should be carefully preparedIt looks the same as the preparation of the ground for the lawn. First of all, remove all weeds carefully. This is very important because a weedy flower meadow will cause many problems. At a later stage, in already growing flower meadows, there is no possibility of chemical weed control with herbicides, as it is done on lawns, because selective herbicides are safe only for grasses.Together with weeds, they destroy flowering meadow plants
The soil for the flower meadow should also be loosened and then leveledWe loosen by digging with a spade or using a rotary tiller. However, there is no need to fertilize and fertilize the soil.In very fertile soils, it is recommended to remove part of the top layer of humus. Meadow plants grow fairly evenly on less fertile soil. On the other hand,with too fertile ground, meadow species with strong growth, quickly choke the slower growing ones
Sow the seeds of the meadow mixture directly onto the soil surface.Usually a flower meadow is sown in the amount of 2g seeds per 1m2 &178Some specialists advise to sow up to 5g seeds per 1m², butwith too dense sowing there is a high risk that it will be faster growing and more expansive species will choke the slower growing onesWhen sowing in lower densities, there will be room for growth for all sown species.
The sown seeds can be mixed with sand or dry sawdust, which will facilitate even sowing.After sowing, the seeds are no longer covered with earth or sand, but only pressed with the ground by trampling or rolling, just like rolling lawns.By pressing them to the ground, the seeds will not be blown away by the wind and will sprout faster.
Flower meadow
Fig. pixabay.com
Establishing a flower meadow on the lawn
If you want to establish a flower meadow where there is now a lawn, it is best to remove all the turf and prepare the soil as described above. If we absolutely want tosow a flower meadow on an existing lawn , we have to take into account that only a small part of the meadow plants will sprout, and over time they may be drowned out by the existing grass. As a result, instead of a nice flower meadow, we will get something that looks more like a strongly weedy lawn.
If it is not possible to remove the entire turf,it is recommended to cut only parts of the lawn, e.g. stripes, rectangles or circles, and sow meadow plants in these placesThis way you can replace the ugliest and most damaged fragments with a flower meadow lawn, without removing the turf from the entire garden.
Flower meadow care and mowing
The most frequently asked question regarding the care of flower meadows is:When to mow a flower meadow ?
Well, usuallyflower meadows are mowed once a year at the beginning of summer, in the period from mid-June to the end of July . A flower meadow should never be mowed earlier than in June, as ornamental species that bloom in May and June will be doomed to gradual extinction.
Flower meadow after mowing
Fig. depositphotos.com
You canmow a flower meadow a second time in August or September . The general rule is that lower meadow plants grow better mowed several times a year, and tall species develop better with a sparse root (once a year or even once every 2 years).
After mowing, leave the plants in the meadow so that they can dry out and the seeds spill out . We take the dry hay only after a few days. Thanks to this, we will ensure the durability of our flower meadow.
In addition to mowingthe flower meadow also requires irrigation and weed removalThese unfortunately have to be weeded by hand, making sure that the plant to be removed is definitely a weed and not a species that is part of our flower meadow. Flower meadows do not need to be fertilized.
Fertilizing a flower meadow is not recommended, as it leads to uneven plant growth and suppression of slower-growing species by those with fast growthLack of nitrogen dose from fertilizers makes all meadow species grow relatively slowly and evenly. If we feel the need to fertilize the soil and fertilize the flower meadow, use a nitrogen-free fertilizer, rich in silica, which makes plants resistant to diseases. This fertilizer is bas alt flour. Potassium contained in bas alt flour enhances the flowering of plants and thus can improve the appearance of our flower meadow. The meal is best used in late autumn, when there are no more insects on the meadow.
