Are you one of those people who are tired of constantly mowing the lawn and who could use a few more splashes of color in their lives? Then a colorful summer meadow might be just the right thing for you - we'll show you how to create one.
Choice of location
Basically, flowers and meadow herbs thrive best on poor, dry soil. Fatty, nutrient-rich soils tend to be breeding grounds for more competitive plants (e.g. dandelion, stinging nettles) and grasses. If the soil is not optimal at your targeted location, you can either thin it out or adapt the desired vegetation to the soil. Special seed mixtures for lean, sandy and other meadows are available from some natural seed distributors. However, the location should definitely be sunny.
Preparation of the ground
Soil preparation depends on how it was previously used. Is it a lawn, fallow or meadow area? If there is still vegetation on it, you should remove it with a spade and replace it with a fresh soil-sand mixture. Mere digging is usually not enough, since rhizomes and seeds of unwanted plants remain in the soil, which can eventually emerge again. After removing the scar, dig up thoroughly and break up large clods of earth. Then level the area with a rake and crumble the earth as finely as possible.
sowing and care
Once that's done, you can sow the selected flower meadow mixture broadly. Calculate about five to ten grams of seed per square meter of meadow area. Carefully rake the seeds into the ground with a rake, just a few millimeters are enough - after all, most meadow flowers germinate in the sun. Compact the soil with a lawn roller or similar and moisten it - the seeds must not dry out under any circumstances, otherwise they will not germinate well. The first mowing is carried out about ten weeks after sowing and is primarily used to destroy weeds.
Which summer flowers can be sown?
Which types of summer flowers you sow depends on the location, the soil conditions, the region and your personal preferences. The typical meadow flowers include u.
- Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
- Meadow Bellflower (Campanula patula)
- Meadow Marguerite (Leucanthemum vulgare)
- Pigeon scabious (Scabiosa columbaria)
- Red clover (Trifolium pratense)
By the way, planting the little rattle pot ((Rhinanthus minor)) ensures that grass cannot spread too much.
tips and tricks
It is better to sow too much seed than too little, because experience has shown that many of the seeds are eaten away by birds, moles or mice - if there is no seed, dense plant density cannot develop and your summer meadow will not be as beautiful as hoped.