Seeding the meadow

Meadow
Written By Rob Carlyle

Meadows are absolute treasures and have arisen from centuries of management.

We’re trying tp accelerate the progress of our mini-meadow (area  approx 54m x 70m x 22m) which was home to overcrowded commercial conifers up until 2011.

Where the meadow meets the pond edge

Since then trees and their roots have been removed and we’ve sowed lots of seed and planted plug plants.

Each year we try to add different meadow species to increase the pollination interest for invertebrates.

Birds for trefoil and common skipper butterfly

Our meadow:

  1. Yellow rattle

  2. Red campion

  3. Red clover

  4. Birds foot trefoil

  5. Kidney vetch

  6. Ribwort plantain

  7. Black medic

  8. Spotted orchid

  9. Creeping buttercup

  10. Fox and cubs

  11. Common vetch

  12. Smooth Hawkweed

  13. Common mouse-ear

  14. Hogweed

  15. Bluebell

  16. Snakeshead fritillary

  17. Crocus

  18. Cowslip

  19. Primrose

  20. Harebell

  21. Wild carrot

  22. Daisy

  23. Oxeye daisy

  24. Meadowsweet

  25. Greater knapweed

  26. Lesser knapweed

  27. Common Sorrel

  28. Meadow Buttercup

  29. Eyebright

  30. Ragged robin

  31. Field scabious

  32. Ragwort

  33. Codlins and cream

Spring is the time to further add to the biodiversity, this time by sowing seeds.

A very successful propagation method is to sow seeds into potting compost and then pot the seedlings on until they are vigorous enough to be planted out in the meadow. I used this method last year for harebells and cowslips.

Another way is to scatter seed directly into the meadow . This time I chose this method.

Seeds are mixed together with sand for even distribution

There’ll be most successful germination if I give seed access to the meadow soil:

I first mow the grass very close taking away all mown grass,

Mowing to remove sward

scarify to remove to remove dead grass & moss and then whack the ground with an azada in the manner of rootling boar, grazing ruminants or busy badgers to further expose areas of soil for the seeds.

Mown, scarified and bashed about..

I then mix my seed with sharp sand in a bucket and scatter the sand & seed mix.

Finally I shuffle over the seeded ground and tread the seed mix in.

My 2026 seed mx:

  • Vipers bugloss

  • Vervain

  • Night-scented stock

  • Butterfly & moth mix (thanks Rich)

  • Sainfoin

Cowslip

Then I let the forecast April showers do their bit by thoroughly watering the ground and pushing the seed further into the soil.

Now we wait to see what treasures will emerge in this wonderful plant community.

Rob Carlyle
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Spring