Shoot Logo
Take a photoPlans & pricingBook a demoGet started

Wildflower meadow turf

Wildflower meadow turf

Comment from Shoot User
1548 5
Hi all, I'm not a very experienced gardener so could really use your help! We brought our house just over 3 years ago and 2 weeks after moving in, I gave birth to our eldest girl Isobel. Since that day we've added a son and a tortoise to the mix, I work part time and my husband works full time AND is doing a part time degree with the OU (very proud wife). Skip to the end, and we've done absolutely nothing to garden!

The garden in long and thin is mainly lawn on the sides with flower beds around the edge which had become jungle (pretty sure I saw Tarzan swinging in there one weekend), so we covered them in weed matting and bark chips 2 years ago, to give ourselves a blank canvass. There are some larger shrub like plants there but I have no lasting love for them, there only survived so the birds had somewhere to hide. The only thing that I don't want to lose is a cider apple tree that I got the husband for his b'day. Now the youngest is a little bit older I'm feeling like I have a bit more energy to so something with the canvass but I'm left feeling very overwhelmed and lost when I look at the space.

Our priorities are that it's safe for kids, looks nice, is low maintenance and wildlife friendly. I really like the idea of wild flower meadow, and found an internet site (well several sites) that do turf, but I don't have the confidence to go for it. So this is where you lovely lot come in, is this a good idea? Do you have any better ideas? Have you had the turf? What are the problems? Will the meadow spread across the whole garden in 2 years? Can I prevent this? Will the shrub plants prevent the meadow from growing?... so many questions! Please help, answer as if you are talking to a 4 year old about it, and don't refrain from telling me the obvious as I'm sure it won't be obvious to me! 4 years of baby brain have taken their toll!

Happy to take photos of the area if people think it will help to see it, although I should warn you, its not pretty.

Thanks in advance!
Posted: Sunday 11th of August 2013 07:57 AM

  • Re: Wildflower meadow turf

    Shoot User
    Turf sounds like pre-made grass to me. Wildflower mixes are great, but they tend to contain both clover and grass seed which can be invasive and hard to control. maybe you can find a mix without them, flowers only. Or, find the wonderful book on Wildlife Gardening by the Lavelle(s). It gives detailed advice on flowers and shrubs that are good for wildlife. Be sure to include the tall Verbena bonariensis, which can be grown from seed, flowers all summer, and is great for butterflies. I photographed Swallowtail on it this year in my garden near here in Italy.
    Replied: Sunday 11th of August 2013 08:55 AM

    • Re: Re: Wildflower meadow turf

      Shoot User
      Hi, thanks Edward!

      It is pre-made grass, well pre-made meadow. This is the stuff I'm thinking of -http://www.wildflowerturf.co.uk/wildflower-border-turf

      There is a list at the bottom of species, it includes Wild Red Clover and some grasses, would these be problematic? There are quite a few different types out there, I can shop around for one that doesn't contain them if they are. Although they all seem to have some grasses.

      I'd love to grow stuff from seed but I have to be realistic about the amount of time I can give the garden at the moment. Not only is the time limited but the it can be very sporadic, I may get a blissful afternoon one day but then due to things like teething or work commitments, find other priorities can easily take over for the next 3 weeks, in which time seedlings would sadly die. I had a little look and verbena isn't on the list in the turf. Could I buy plug plants and add a few in when the turf has established? I just had a look on google, it's very pretty!
      Replied: Sunday 11th of August 2013 09:32 AM

      • Re: Re: Re: Wildflower meadow turf

        Carol
        All these things are pretty in their season. Even wildflower meadow needs the right maintenance at the right time though - mowing at the right point so the seeds that have set fall and start off again for next year. Where are you?
        It's easy to get some wildflower seed and put it in some patches around existing lawn - marked so you don't mow it too early by mistake.
        Replied: Sunday 11th of August 2013 11:13 AM

  • Re: Wildflower meadow turf

    Emily Lambert
    Hi :-) I work for 'SEEDBALL' - we don't have any experience ourselves of using meadow turf, but we often direct people to the Plantlife tips on creating your own wildflower meadow: http://www.plantlife.org.uk/things_to_do/grow_wild/wildmeadow/ - if you're looking to create a small meadow area in your garden it can be a lot of fun without the need of too much effort. Our company sells a variety of wildflower mixes that are perfect for wildlife (these don't include grass seeds), and are in the form of seed balls, which helps simplify the process a bit: http://shop.shootgardening.co.uk/seedball/

    Good luck with your meadow adventure! :-)
    Replied: Sunday 11th of August 2013 11:39 AM

    • Re: Re: Wildflower meadow turf

      Shoot User
      Hi,

      Thanks everyone, very interesting stuff. I had heard that it's really hard to start a meadow from seeds, but I might give it a try with those seedballs. Its a much cheaper way of doing it at least! And if it doesn't work I guess I can always try the turf next year.

      Wish me luck and thanks again for the advice!

      Liz
      Replied: Monday 19th of August 2013 11:43 AM

  • Re: Wildflower meadow turf

    Shoot User
    Hi. I live in a building that used to be a Victorian poor boys institution (and than a poor home and hospital, and then a maternity hospital) and every map of them shows that part of the lawn has remained the same. And it's an interesting bit of lawn! Lots of little plants that flower while short. The gardening company is going to allow a bit of it to grow for me to investigate next year. And I've been investigating this on-line already.

    You may find these links helpful:
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/10113049/Is-flowering-sward-the-death-knell-for-the-English-lawn.html

    http://cutabovefw.com/lawn-care/

    http://www.tootsietime.com/2011/06/victorian-garden.html

    http://www.camomilelawns.co.uk/ideas.htm

    And from the RSPB (see more there, too):
    Picking the right plants
    Some plants do more damage than good to wildlife. To help you pick plants that
    won’t escape from your garden and cause havoc in the wider countryside, here’s
    a little list of plants we recommend you get your hands on:
    • yarrow
    • black knapweed
    • lady’s bedstraw
    • common cat’s-ear
    • ox-eye daisy
    • common bird’s-foot trefoil
    • ribwort plantain
    • self-heal
    • yellow rattle
    • common sorrel
    For more advice on what plants are great for your garden and where to buy from,
    check out our friends at Flora Locale (www.floralocale.org)

    Let us know how it goes!
    Karin
    Replied: Monday 14th of October 2013 10:24 AM

  • Re: Wildflower meadow turf

    Shoot User
    Hi Liz
    We live in the Lincolnshire Wolds & have used wildflower / grass seed mixes from Emorsgate Seeds.

    www.emorsgateseeds.com
    It will come up as wildseed.co.uk

    They sell mixes suitable for different soil types, list the composition & have guidance on establishing wildflower meadows. We have successfully established a chalk meadow bed in one part of our garden & are now trying the tussock seed mix elsewhere in the garden.

    Happy gardening.
    Replied: Monday 14th of October 2013 03:03 PM

  • Re: Wildflower meadow turf

    Thomas Stone
    Hi Liz
    I am a approved supplier for The wildflower Turf company and have used the products to great effect over the past few years, it's an easy to use product, with the grass flower rate ideal would be ideal if you could add some pics and I can have a look for you and just advise from the pictures if that's ok for you
    Replied: Saturday 1st of April 2017 06:43 AM
TOP