When I had the landscaping work done at Bracken House, one area I was keen to create was a wildflower meadow. I have always liked wildflower meadows of all types, especially buttercup meadows, poppy fields and fields of annuals creating different colours as each variety started to bloom.
The area next to the paddocks, between the pond and the grazing fields, is the area I have set aside for wildflowers. It is now three years since the landscaping project was completed and the wildflower meadow is nowhere near to what I had in mind.
The main problem I have met is the area was covered in top soil by the previous owner, and this is far too rich in nutrients to allow wildflowers to flourish. What happens is that the grasses take over and this season, have reached over three feet in height. I have managed to almost eliminate the dock plants that were in the area, but there are still large patches of thistles.
Piles of cuttings in the wildflower meadow awaiting burning.
The growing conditions this year have been perfect for grass and it has taken me longer than expected to cut down the growth at the end of the growing season. I had planned to cut the meadow at the end of July, but holidays and rainy weather delayed the task. It wasn’t until mid-November that the task was finally completed.
Unfortunately, the cuttings need to be removed from the field or burned in situ. Last year, I spread the cuttings out to rot in the small field, but this year, I have burned the cuttings in situ, and in the larger field. If the cuttings are not removed, they will rot down and put nutrients back into the soil, creating perfect conditions for grasses.
By burning the cuttings on site, I am hoping to create bare patches that wildflowers can colonise. I will have to take care to prevent thistles from seeding, otherwise they will take over any bare patches of soil. As the trees mature, they will take nutrients from the soil and prevent the grasses from growing so prolifically.
The plan for 2014 is to trim the meadow two, or three, times throughout the season to prevent the grasses growing so tall and allow more light through to any emerging wildflowers. I may also seed some of the bare patches with wildflower annuals to give the meadow a helping hand.
Like the rest of the gardens, this is a long-term project which will probably take ten years or more to be seen at its best, but I’m going to enjoy watching the land develop.
Related articles
- A Guide to Growing Wildflowers (gardening.answers.com)
- Planting Wildflower Seeds (ledgrowlighthydro.typepad.com)
- Pictures of Beautiful Wildflower Gardens (gardening.answers.com)
- Popular Wildflowers to Add Color to Your Garden (gardening.answers.com)
- Pick Your Weeds – Don’t Pull Them Just Yet (gardenwalkgardentalk.com)
- Flowers of the Field (countrylivinged.com)
