Economy seed mix for clay, loam or sandy soils with wild orchid

Economy mix for clay, loam or sandy soils

This mix contains the unique sought after wild flower species that my mixes are known for, 28 species in all, including Green-winged Orchid and Common Spotted Orchid, scroll further down this page to see the full range of beautiful wild flowers I have included.

This mix will provide you with a very long flowering season from April to mid-September or beyond. It contains a ratio of 20% wild flowers to grasses. It should be seeded at a rate of 3g per m².

The colours change month to month and year to year in a meadow sown with my seed mixes, which makes it hard to depict them in a photo image, which is but a snapshot in time.

For areas smaller than 100sqm, see my Luxury seed mix for clay, loam or sandy soils.

This mix contains only perennial wild flowers which will survive and spread year after year by their root-stock and vegetative growth without the need for additional seeding. Being perennials expect the majority of flowering to occur from the second year after seeding and every year thereafter.

If you wish for colourful flowering during the first year as well, then also purchase a quantity of my luxury annual mix or economy annual mix for your seeding area, equivalent to 10% of your total seeding area to add to this economy clay, loam and sandy soils mix and tell me if you wish me to mix these together for your convenience, alternatively consider my special luxury mix for clay, loam and sandy soils or my general purpose mix which both contain an annual inclusion to provide colourful first year flowering.

What’s in the mix

To create a wild flower area using this mix, follow my perennial wild flower seeding instructions.

I also sell seeds of rarer individual wild flower species, including orchids and helleborines. Explore my range of rare and unusual wild flower seeds on the Rarities / Additional Species page.

For an attractive border around your wild flower area, take a look at my maintenance-free fencing. As an alternative to seeding, consider my wild flower turf. For environmentally friendly ways to deter garden pests, I recommend Grazers pest deterrents. You can also browse my colleague Abby’s wild flower jewellery on Etsy. Receive a 10% discount using code WFLM10.

How to sow

Prepare the ground in advance by clearing existing grass and weeds to expose bare soil, then leave it a while to allow weeds from weed seeds within your soil to germinate, and remove these.

Use my ready made packs for different sized areas and either scatter it evenly over your prepared area or sow it at my advised seed rate of 3g/sq. The rains or dew will stick the seeds to your soil. You can sow your seeds anytime of the year but the rate of germination will depend on the level of moisture and warmth in the soil. If for any reason you find that you are not able to sow your seeds as quickly as you had hoped, or have seed left over that cannot be used straight away, do not panic. As long as you ensure the seed is kept in the bag and stored in a cool, dark, dry place it will be viable for 12 months or more.

When your flowers will appear

If you sow in the spring you should see germination within 4-6 weeks depending upon the levels of warmth and moisture in the soil. There will then be a succession of different species germinating throughout the following weeks and months. If you sow between September and February most of the annuals will germinate from April (although Corncockle can germinate soon after sowing if the weather is not too cold and will happily survive the winter). The large assortment of perennial wild flower species in my mixtures will germinate a month or two later than the annuals with germination continuing throughout the year. Although the annuals will flower fully in the first year (from May onwards) and some of the perennials too (from late June onwards), many of the perennials spend their first year bulking up their leaf growth and root structure and so the colourful display you will see throughout the first year will be mostly coming from the annual wild flowers. It is from April of the second year when your wild flower area will burst into perennial bloom, with different species flowering en masse from early April right through until October and even November.

Aftercare & management

Treat your wild flower area like a hay meadow – cut it once towards the end of every year and remove the cuttings (otherwise the mulching effect can kill plants beneath the left cuttings). There is no set time you have to do this, but I advise from mid August to early October (so that it has time to green back up again before winter sets in). Also clear any heavy leaf fall from small wildflower areas over the winter.

Remember it is only the annual species which need to drop their seed to survive (and most will have done this by mid August), the majority of species in these mixes are perennials which do not rely on their seeds to survive, but continue year after year from their vegetative growth and so cutting any of these plants when still in flower will not damage the plant or the future of your wild flower area. Consequently cutting paths through your wild flower meadow is fine, indeed I would encourage this but use a mower that lifts and removes the cuttings when you do it.

Common questions people search for

What is the best month to sow wildflower seeds?

March – August is the best window in my experience from 25 years of creating wildflower meadows. However you can sow your seeds anytime of the year but the rate of germination will depend on the level of moisture and warmth in the soil. I have sown large meadows in drought conditions and the seeds happily sit it out until the rains come and them the germination begins. Wildflowers are great at living off the dew as they grow, wildflowers survive far better than grasses in a drought. Native wild flowers are hardy and late autumn and winter sowing is fine but don’t expect to see germination until the ground warms up in the spring. Remember not all the species germinate at the same time, some are months behind others so there is always new things to spot when you inspect your wild flower area.

Can I just scatter the seed?

Yes, so long as it is onto bare soil with any previous vegetation removed. Let nature take it from there. If you sow directly onto grass or other vegetation the seeds may not touch the soil and if they do, where they land will not receive enough light or warmth for long enough to trigger germination so they will become just part of your soils ‘seed bank’.