[drypulse]

Hello. I have just got myself an allotment, and I have decided to allow a nice 1.5 meter square patch for a wildflower garden. I have lots of packets of seeds all from england and just ready now to prepare the soil. I was wondering what type of soil would be best and how to prepare them? Mine is clay with sandy sub soil, quite clumpy at the moment but drainage is okay. would be good to add any sand or gravel? Also when would be best to sow the seeds? Not necessarily looking for flowers this year now i suppose!

Is there anything else I could do now before it's all planted to encourage growth and help wildlife?

Any help would be apprieciated Joe

[jay001]

Hi joe i,m sorry but i am no expert gardener (3 weeks ) but have been a avid wildlife lover since i got my first set of bino,s on my 5th birthday,i have several sets of wildflower seed packets and they all say sow direct into soil between april and june,none of them stipulate the kind of soil they are most comfortable in,they also say keep sowing in the same spot every 2 weeks to keep the blooms there longer i guess for the bees,butterfly,s and birds to have a longer length of time with them,also if you have all uk wild seeds they should be hardy enough to grow in any soil or enviroment-- i think  when you think about it you can find a british wild flower growing in the most inhospitable envirement on your way to work past any bit of wastland,but as i say i am no expert !!!

[Trillium]

If they're in mixes, it'll be hard to separate the seeds as some appreciate an earlier start while others will do fine sown outdoors. You might even get a few perennials mixed in.

I'd hedge my bets by planting some seed early in a flat of soil in a sheltered outdoor area, perhaps a greenhouse or coldframe if you have one and let them get a good start before planting out. I understand that Sarah Raven did this with many of hers. The rest you could direct seed into a roughed up area then top dress with a thin covering so the seeds don't blow away and after you've planted in the early starts. This should guarantee some flowering and continuous seeding.

[jay001]

well there you go joe,told you i was no expert didnt i  what trillium say,s makes sense to me so think i will start a few of mine off indoors and see how i go 

[drypulse]

thanks for that both of you gives me something to do this weekend