One of the growing ideas for new lawns is to have wild flower lawns in place of traditional green turf.  This new idea has been adopted by many companies offering turfing in Sussex and around the country.  But what is a wild flower lawn and how do you create one?

Wild flower lawn basics

Wild flower lawns bring colour to an area of the garden that is normally just a uniform green.  Turfing contractors are often requested to create this kind of lawns for commercial customers around the business property.  But an increasing number of people are also opting for them for some or all of their lawn area in the garden.

This type of lawn is much more interesting and varied than the normal grass turf and the unpredictable nature of the way they are made means no two patches are the same.  They bring brightly coloured flowers, different shades of greenery and a riot of scents to make a much more interesting outdoor area.

Wild flower lawns generally need less upkeep than a turf lawn.  They are a favourite with cottage gardens and when people are growing their own fruit, vegetables and herbs because they attract insects that are key in the process.  They also create a wildlife friendly area for bees, butterflies and other wildlife that feed on the plants.

How to create a wild flower lawn

There are a few different ways to create a wildflower lawn:

• Laying wild flower turf
• Adding wildflower seeds to a grass lawn
• Adding the seeds straight to the bare earth

If you want to use the wild flower turf option, then find a local turfing company that supplies it.  You may also need soil suppliers to get topsoil and other additions to the soil to boost it for both turf and if you want to just add seeds straight to the ground.  That way you can give the soil below the boost it needs for the wild flower lawn to thrive.

It is best if you want to sow the seeds to plant them in pots and grow them on a little before adding them to the ground.  That way the seeds have already germinated before you add them to the ground and have a better chance of growing on to be full plants.

Choosing the right seeds

If you work with a turfing company, even one that does lawn insurance work following damage to the property, you don’t have to worry quite as much about which seeds to use.  But if you want to choose your own seeds, look for wild flowers that are native to the UK and even native to your area.  So if you are in Sussex, see what kind of wild flowers are normally found around the county.

Also look at the conditions you are planting in and check that the seeds are the right kind of plants for it.  For example, plants from dry grassland areas of the country won’t do well in a boggy, waterlogged soil with poor drainage.  Ensuring you get the right seeds for your conditions is a key part of wild flower lawn success.