A colorful summer meadow can be created in different ways. On the one hand, you can convert an existing lawn, but also former vegetable or flower beds, the front garden, etc. The only important thing is that the soil is poor and not too moist for the most species-rich meadow possible with lots of herbs and flowers. In addition, the location should be exposed to strong sunlight for several hours every day.
How do I create a meadow?
To create a meadow, prepare the soil, select suitable seeds and sow them over a large area. Make sure there is enough sunlight and poor, not too moist soil to ensure a species-rich summer meadow.
Preparation and seed procurement
Before you can start sowing, the soil must first be prepared and the desired seeds procured. The specific activities for preparing the soil depend on its condition and the desired type of meadow. Flowers and herbs typically thrive on poor and dry soil, which is why you should thin out the subsoil and drain it if necessary to create a colorful summer flower meadow. The emaciation is done by removing the top layer of soil and replacing it with a loose soil-sand mixture. Alternatively, you can of course also choose a type of meadow that is tailored to your soil conditions (e.g. fat meadow, wet meadow, dry meadow or litter meadow).
Selection of plants and herbs
You can get ready-made seed mixtures in every garden store or garden center (€20.00 on Amazon). However, these only contain a few annual species that usually do not last long. For this reason, it is better to put together a colorful mix of seeds from a wide variety of flowers and herbs. Which species you choose depends on the use of the meadow on the one hand and the condition of the soil on the other. Typical meadow flowers include
- Dandelions
- Red and white meadow clover
- Meadow bluebell
- Yarrow
- Cow parsley
- Marguerite
- Pigeon Scabious
- or the bright yellow meadow pea.
If the meadow is to be used for hay production or grazing, you can use mixtures available in the special agricultural shop (e.g. for horse meadows) or put together the desired seeds yourself. However, it is important to note that it does not contain any plants that are poisonous to animals.
Sowing and planting meadow plants
When creating the meadow, proceed as follows:
- An existing lawn is heavily scarified.
- Fallow land is dug up and thoroughly harrowed.
- For emaciation, a layer of sand and earth mixture several centimeters thick is applied.
- Now you can sow the seeds by hand over a large area.
- Since most meadow plants are light germinators, they should not be covered with soil, but only with a thin layer of sand.
- Keep the area moist but not wet.
- Fertilization should be avoided.
The newly created meadow will not be mowed in the first year.
Tips & Tricks
Unlike a lawn, a meadow should not be walked on. For this reason, you should plan for solid paths - for example made of field stones or paving stones - when creating a new meadow.
