Many people prefer a carpet-like lawn in their garden, but it is quite maintenance-intensive. Lawns need to be mowed, fertilized and watered regularly. Lawn owners must also ensure that the green area does not become mossy or overgrown with weeds. If you don't want to do this work, you would prefer a natural flower meadow that is easier to care for.
How can you create a meadow instead of a lawn?
To turn a lawn into a flower meadow, you should stop fertilizing the lawn in the previous year, scarify the lawn, apply a soil-sand mixture and sow meadow seeds from May onwards. Avoid further fertilization to promote biodiversity.
Species-rich meadow attracts many pest controllers
If you choose a meadow instead of a lawn, you are killing several birds with one stone - literally. Because meadows with many different types of blooming flowers and herbs attract numerous insects and small animals, which kill the pests in your garden in a completely natural and non-chemical way. Meadows are a home for bees, bumblebees, butterflies, hedgehogs, birds, etc. and are therefore necessary for the preservation of biodiversity. Not to mention that such a sea of flowers is wonderful to look at in summer and you don't have to do much work with it.
Small flowering oasis in the middle of a lawn
Nevertheless, a meadow of course also has disadvantages, because on the one hand, like a lawn, it cannot be mowed with a conventional lawnmower and, on the other hand, it is also home to small animals that gardeners don't actually like to see: mice, moles, etc.feel just as comfortable here. But you don't have to convert the entire lawn into a meadow; instead, it can also be enough to convert just a small part - so as a blooming highlight in the middle of a sea of green lawn.
How to turn your lawn into a meadow
A lawn can be transformed into a flower meadow with just a little effort. Please note, however, that meadows prefer poor soil (the poorer the soil, the better herbs and flowers thrive - dandelions, nettles, etc. are more likely to thrive on rich soil) and a sunny location. To convert, do the following:
- Stop fertilizing the lawn the previous year.
- Dethatch the lawn thoroughly the following fall or spring.
- Then apply a soil-sand mixture to relatively greasy surfaces.
- Spread seeds for meadows from May onwards.
When continuing to care for the meadow, avoid fertilizing. The more you fertilize the meadow, the more competitive plants prevail and biodiversity suffers. Only intensively used meadow areas (e.g. for hay production or grazing) should be fertilized from time to time. In the first year after sowing there is no mowing, in the following year mowing should finally take place in the second half of June.
Tips & Tricks
Pay attention to the quality of the seeds: Most commercially available meadow flower mixtures only contain a few annual flowers that will quickly disappear from the scene. Instead, it's better to buy individual seed packets (€8.00 on Amazon) of your choice and put together your own desired mixture.
