How to grow Wildflower Seed Mix
Wildflower seeds are easy to grow and can create beautiful displays while supporting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators throughout the season.
Sowing Wildflower Seeds
Wildflower seeds can be sown thinly at around 2 grams per square metre. Do not sow too thickly, as plants may compete with one another.
When to Sow
Sow in spring or autumn. Spring sowing usually begins from late March to early June as the soil warms, while autumn sowing can produce earlier flowers the following year.
Preparing the Soil
Weed the bed, level the soil with a rake, and tread lightly before sowing. Mixing the seeds with dry sand will help ensure a more even distribution and make bare patches easier to spot.
Sowing Methods
Sowing the seeds can be done either by broadcast sowing or by sowing in drills.
Broadcast sowing is quick and easy, with seeds scattered evenly over the soil surface. The main disadvantage is that it can be difficult to distinguish weed seedlings from your flowers.
Alternatively, seeds can be sown in shallow drills spaced around 30 cm apart. Although this takes a little more time, it makes identifying seedlings much easier as the flowers appear in rows.
Cultivation & Care
Water seeds and young plants during dry conditions. Tall plants may benefit from support in exposed gardens.
At the end of the season, you can either leave the seed heads for birds to feed on or cut the flowers down. Remove weeds and re-cultivate the area ready for the following season.
Garden Uses
Wildflower mixes are ideal for beds and borders, cottage and informal gardens, courtyards, city gardens, and wildlife-friendly spaces.
Helping Bees & Pollinators
Choose several flower colours, especially blue, purple, violet, white, and yellow, as these are highly attractive to bees.
Plant flowers in large clumps rather than scattering individual plants. Include flowers with different shapes and aim for a wide diversity of plants flowering throughout spring, summer, and autumn.
Avoid pesticides whenever possible, as many will also harm beneficial insects. If you must use them, choose the least toxic option and follow instructions carefully.
Bees also benefit from shallow water sources, sheltered sunny spots, climbing plants, log piles, and small untidy areas where they can hide and overwinter.