Creating a wildflower meadow is a great idea for a wildlife-friendly garden. Take a look at our guide to making it look effortless.
27.05.2025
A wildflower meadow is an eco-friendly, low-maintenance form of garden design
Sow in spring or late summer on nutrient-poor soil
Stake out the area, loosen soil, work in construction sand and sow
Mow your wildflower meadow twice a year
Watering is largely unnecessary
You should mow your wildflower meadow twice a year: once in March and the second time after the first flowering – the end of July or August, depending on the plant species.
A wildflower meadow should be sown in spring between the end of March and May, though you could also create a wildflower meadow in late summer (until September). Don't forget to check the instructions on the seed packets before you sow them.
Most wildflowers thrive in nutrient-poor soil. If you’re creating a wildflower meadow, remember to add sharp sand (not builder's sand) to the soil if it is loamy.
Special seed mixes are available for making wildflower meadows. Choose one that is made up of UK native, perennial species for the most sustainable option.
A wildflower meadow is not just a beautiful, eye-catching sight, but also an environmentally friendly form of garden design.
A meadow attracts butterflies and bees, creates habitat for animals and invites us to observe and discover nature up close. The seeds of the plants serve as food for native birds and the flowers provide shelter for hedgehogs.
A flower meadow is also easy to maintain compared to conventional lawns, as it doesn't need to be mown as often. It also means you can save on watering, because you should only need to water a wildflower meadow in prolonged periods of severe drought.
There are a few things to consider before you create a wildflower meadow – for example, the choice of seeds and the right time to plant them.
If you want your meadow to regrow each year, choose perennial wildflower seeds. Although there are many beautiful annual wildflowers, you will need to replant your meadow each year with annuals.
The following native species are suitable for creating a wildflower meadow:
red clover (trifolium pratense)
common poppy (papaver rhoeas)
cornflower (centaurea cyanus)
night-flowering catchfly (Silene noctiflora)
daisy (bellis perennis)
sorrel (rumex acetosa)
oxeye daisy (leucanthemum vulgare)
bird’s foot trefoil (lotus corniculatus)
Depending on the types of plant you have selected, the best time to sow a wildflower meadow is in spring (between the end of March and May) or late summer and autumn until September.
A sunny location is ideal, for example in front of a fence, a shed or house wall – shady locations are not such a good option for your insect-friendly meadow.
The soil should be nutrient-poor, for example, due to a lack of minerals or organic matters. If the soil in your garden is nutrient-rich, adding sand will help create a more successful wildflower meadow in the longer term.
As it is not possible to exactly reproduce a natural site, it will take a few years for species to balance – some will disappear, while others will thrive and assert themselves. As most garden soils are initially too high in nutrients, species that use more nutrients will prevail in the first few years. Reseeding may make sense a few years after the wildflower meadow has been first planted.
Here's our guide to creating a wildflower meadow in your garden and what you need for the task.
Rope or string with stakes for marking out the area
Sharp sand or horticultural sand for amending the soil and distributing the seeds
A bowl for sowing the seeds
Wheelbarrow
Spade
Shovel
Digging fork
Watering can or a sprinkler and hose for larger areas
Metal rake and wooden rake
Bucket for rubbish
Hammer for the stakes
Appropriate work wear
Mark the area where you want to place your wildflower meadow using some string and stakes. Use thicker rope to mark out any curved edges.
Remove turf thoroughly using a spade and clear stones with a metal rake. Dig out weeds, making sure you remove the taproots too. Turf can be composted or used to fill a raised bed, as a separating layer between coarse and fine material.
Loosen the soil with a digging fork. You should insert this into the ground at a 45-degree angle, lifting it out in such a way that the soil can flow through the tines. You only need to dig over heavy ground – you should avoid digging over other soil types in order to protect the soil and its inhabitants.
It is important to leave the soil to rest for two weeks and then pull up any more weeds that have germinated. Weed seeds can remain viable in soil for decades, and will germinate as soon as conditions are optimal, such as when the soil is loosened.
If your soil is too high in nutirents, you can spread sand and work it in thoroughly in order to loosen the soil, make it more permeable and reduce the nutrient content. In principle, this method works by distributing the nutrients over a larger volume of soil. Rake your surface so that it is level.
Before spreading, mix the seeds with sand. This will mean that you can see where the seeds are already lying against the dark soil and distribute them evenly. Do not use construction sand for this as it is prone to clumping.
Now apply the seed mix. As a rule, you will need between 5 and 10 grams of seed per square metre but check the packaging of your seed mix for further instructions.
Rake the seeds in a little and pat the soil down with the shovel until firm. For larger areas, use a roller. Water the soil and keep it moist until the seeds germinate.
Once you’ve created your wildflower meadow, it won't take much maintenance – but there are a few things you should remember.
There are a number of good reasons to mow your wildflower meadow. Knowing how and when to mow your wildflower meadow will allow lower-growing plants to access the sunlight and flower. In addition, removing existing plants gradually reduces the nutrient concentration of the soil, as nutrients from the soil are “integrated” into the plants and thus disappear from the area. This is beneficial because wildflowers thrive best in nutrient-poor soil. Another advantage: mowing and then leaving the plants lying on the ground promotes the propagation of primarily annual species.
You should mow your bee-friendly wildflower meadow twice a year. The first cut should be in March, because in winter the stems of the flower meadow serve as shelter for many beneficial insects and grain-eating birds such as finches eat the seeds. The second cut should be after the first flowering – for many species, this takes place in July and August.
STIHL pro tip
Leave the cuttings on the surface for few days and allow them to dry out before placing them in a thermo composter, organic waste bin or the green waste. The material contains too many seeds for proper composting, as this would result in the seeds later germinating in undesired places in the garden.
If you shake the seeds out thoroughly, you can also put the cuttings on a public compost heap to properly dispose of your garden waste.
Mow larger areas in stages and leave a week’s break in between mowings so that insects such as bees can enjoy the last flowers for a little longer.
A bee-friendly wildflower meadow is particularly easy to maintain, as you only need to mow it twice a year, and watering is largely unnecessary.
After germination, keep the soil moist and water it again in hot weather during the first year. This will no longer be necessary the next year, as the plants will be established by then.
After sowing a wildflower meadow, look out for weeds that may choke your wildflower plants and suppress them. It often takes a few years to create a stable wildflower meadow. Some species thrive, others disappear – just as in nature.
