More and more people are deciding against a lawn and in favor of a flower meadow. Here we show the advantages of a flower meadow and how to create it.
For a long time, well-groomed, almost meticulously trimmed lawns could be found in almost every garden. Gardeners in particular with a large plot of land could hardly avoid laying out large lawns if they did not want to use gravel beds or paved areas. But now there is an alternative that is becoming more and more popular: In fact, more and more garden enthusiasts are deciding against the standardized, short-cut lawn and in favor of a colorful flower meadow. This not only looks good, but also has numerous advantages over a normal lawn. Here you can find out what is behind it and how you can create a flower meadow in your own garden.
Adequate, green lawn or a wild, colorful sea of flowers? Recently, flower meadows can be found in more and more gardens and not only cause enthusiasm because of their appearance.
What are the advantages of flower meadows?
Mowing, aerating, scarifying - such a lawn is quite a lot of work if you want it to look nice and green and fresh even after years. In fact, the amount of work and time involved in lawn care is one of the most common reasons gardeners switch to a flower meadow. In contrast to a lawn, this is particularly easy to care for: the flower meadow must be mowed once a year (preferably from the end of July to mid-August) so that the annual wild plants can spread their mature seeds over the area. Otherwise, the flower meadow hardly needs any care.
But that's not their only advantage - almost as important as the lower workload is the fact that a flower meadow is a much better biotope than a simple lawn. Particularly rare wild bees, but also bumblebees, butterflies or hedgehogs find a suitable home in a flower meadow and are thus protected. But native wild flowers, which often no longer find a habitat between gardens and agriculture, can also thrive on the flower meadow. So carries a simpleFlower meadows contribute to the preservation of biodiversity - on the other hand, only a few insects can survive on the lawn and even wild herbs have almost no chance here.
Finally, the flower meadow also impresses with its visual appeal: a simple lawn simply cannot compete with the romantic charm and the magical play of colors of the blooming wildflowers.
How to create a flower meadow
Even if a flower meadow is easy to care for, the creation of such a natural space in the garden is unfortunately not child's play. In fact, it's not enough to just sow a few wildflower seeds and stop mowing the lawn if you want to see a sea of flowers next year. The main reason for this is the soil: while a green, he althy lawn needs nutrient-rich soil, the popular lean meadow in particular is dependent on sandy, nutrient-poor soil. In order for the flower meadow project to succeed, a little time and patience is therefore necessary. There are a total of three ways to transform a lawn into a flower paradise, which we would like to briefly introduce to you below.
Variant 1: create lean meadow slowly
With the slower but less expensive version, you stop all fertilization of the lawn and only cut it a few times a year (the clippings should always be carefully removed). The nutrient content in the soil decreases over the years and there is an immigration of typical meadow herbs and flowers from the immediate vicinity. Anyone who, due to a rather urban environment, cannot hope for wild plants to sprout or would like certain flowering plants in their meadow can also "vaccinate" the lawn. The lawn is selectively removed and flowering plants are sown in a targeted manner or herbs that have been grown are planted in these areas. Over time, these spread over the entire lawn and create a flower meadow. It goes a little faster if you scarify the lawn very vigorously in autumn or early spring and instead of new grass seed a wild plant mixture is sown. However, the development of a complete, he althy flower meadow here can also take several years and is particularly successful in gardens that already have sandy soil.
Variant 2: create lean meadow quickly
The second method is faster, but at the same time more complex. Here willremoved the entire turf. Now the top 10 to 20 centimeters of the soil (depending on the soil type) are either removed and replaced with sandy soil or loosened up and mixed with sand to create a nutrient-poor, permeable soil. In particularly wet locations, additional drainage can be useful. The soil is now allowed to settle for about two days before you can start sowing the flower mixture. The best time to create a flower meadow is spring or autumn. Be careful not to spread too many seeds in one area (one to a maximum of five grams of seeds per square meter) and then gently rake in the seeds flat. The seeds are also gently pressed to the ground with a lawn roller. After sowing, the meadow should be watered regularly. In addition, you should not enter the meadow after the first plants have germinated, as wild flowers can react sensitively to it.
Variant 3: create a flower meadow to suit the location
Even though the poor meadow is probably the most well-known and also the most diverse type of meadow, it is by far not the only flower meadow that can be created in a garden. In fact, there are wild flowers and herbs that match almost every type of soil, with which you can set up a wild flower meadow. A soil analysis, which you can commission from various institutions, provides information about the type of soil. Based on this soil analysis, the meadow mixtures or individual flowers can now be selected that should thrive on the natural soil type. But garden owners don't have to be ashamed if they "only" sow a fat meadow adapted to their soil instead of a nutrient-poor meadow - this form of flower meadow has also become rather rare in Germany and has a special charm with its blooming inhabitants.
The best plants for your flower meadow
Depending on whether you want to create a lean meadow or a rich meadow in your garden, different plants are most suitable.
The best plants for a lean meadow
Colorful and species-rich - this is how rough meadows present themselves in nature. But which plants fit best on the newly created flower meadow? Striking flowering plants such as meadow sage (Salvia pratensis) and thrift are particularly popular(Armeria maritima) or tried and tested classics such as the cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) and the corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas ). But also lesser-known wild plants such as the black mullein (Verbascum nigrum) or the pigeon scabious (Scabiosa columbaria) exude their charm. In addition, grasses such as common trembling grass (Briza media) and sedum species (Sedum) provide for one coherent overall picture.
The best plants for a fat meadow
If you want to create a fat meadow, you should rely on other plants. Grasses that thrive particularly well in a rich meadow include orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata), but also common oat (Arrhenaterum elatius) and comb grass (Cynosurus cristatus). In addition to the numerous types of grass, three species in particular are typical of a fat meadow: daisies (Bellis perennis), dandelion (Taraxacum) and clover ( Trifolium). In addition, other plants such as yarrow (Achillea) with its numerous small flowers and the buttercup (Ranunculus), known as buttercup, are also popular on the meadow . But also other colorful flowers such as the meadow daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), the scabious (Knautia) or the pigeon campion ( Silene vulgaris) impress in the meadow with their flowers and transform your garden into a feast for the eyes.
Tip: Ready-made seed mixtures are a good way to create flower meadows, as they contain all the required plant seeds and save the customer the tedious task of searching for the various plants. In the meantime, numerous dealers offer such meadow mixtures, which contain native species with similar site conditions for the different meadow types. But be careful: So-called "show mixtures" that are offered for flower meadows are often particularly rich in flowers, but contain exotic flowers that cannot prevail in our garden in the long term.
If you are still interested in natural and environmentally friendly gardening, you can find our article on the natural garden here. Beneficial hotels such as butterfly houses also offer an alternative to protecting beneficial insects.