Knowing when you can sow wildflower seed is important since it will determine when you will see them shoot up out of the soil. Whether you decide to sow your wildflowers in autumn or spring, mixes that contain grass are better sown when temperatures are 10°C and above – allowing the grasses in the mix to create a nursery for the wildflowers to keep weeds at bay.

When to sow wildflower seed

Some people think that the best time to sow wildflower seed is in autumn because the seeds need to undergo a ‘freeze’ known as ‘stratification’, but our seeds are kept in cold conditions all year round, meaning you can sow them in autumn and spring! You should avoid sowing wildflower seeds when conditions are frosty or icy or if the ground is frozen– you need to do some prep work first.

How do I prepare for sowing my wildflower seed?

Wildflower seeds are notoriously low maintenance – so you will be glad to hear the bulk of your work is over once you’ve prepared the seedbed!

Groundwork before sowing your wildflower seed

When starting your preparation, it is important to be mindful that wildflowers are the opposite of grass seeds and love poor soil conditions. Take the time to prepare your chosen area by helping to reduce the nutrient levels in your soil or select a part of your lawn that has long since been abandoned. If your garden is in top shape, you can strip away the first 5-10cm of soil to lower nutrient levels. Fertile soils can encourage some wildflowers, like cornfield annuals, to grow undesirably tall, so make sure not to skip this step.

Remove grass, plants & weeds from the area

Wildflowers do not deal well with guests – if you do not remove all existing grass, plants and weeds from the area, they will stunt the growth of your wildflower seeds by out-competing them!

Level out the area and - wait

Having cleared out the area, you should begin levelling the seedbed with a rake to remove any dips in the soil – if the ground is difficult to rake, use a garden fork to break up the soil.

We know how eager you will be to plant your new wildflower seeds, but it is better to leave the area to sit for several weeks. This gives time for any weeds that may have been hiding in the soil to come up, allowing you to remove them before you sow your wildflowers. Letting the weeds come up now allows your wildflower meadow to be happier and healthier in the long run!

Wildflower seed sowing

Give the area a final rake to create a level seedbed and sow your seeds at a rate of 5g per m2. Make sure you do not plant your seed too close together and firm them down by foot, burying them into the ground – this helps your wildflowers grow by allowing them to be in amongst the soil.

Feeding & watering your wildflower seed

Wildflowers do not require any additional feeding, but they do need some watering. In the first six weeks after sowing, keep the wildflower area moist; this is particularly important if you sow the wildflower seeds during hot and dry weather or if there is no rainfall within weeks. After six weeks, you can let our UK weather take care of the rest!

Sow, what wildflower seed can you grow?

Due to their nature, wildflower seeds will grow practically anywhere you sow them – although some are better than others at growing in certain conditions! If you’re planning on tackling your clay soil with some colourful wildflowers, we have created a mix of wildflowers that grow in clay conditions and produce beautiful blooms of annuals and perennials that pack a punch that even your troublesome soil won’t be able to handle! We haven’t left those shady areas to sit in the dark either – we offer a mix filled with shade tolerant wildflowers that will spread their joy and brighten up even the dullest areas!

Wildflowers for bees and butterflies

If you want a choir of fluttering and buzzing to perform alongside your showstopper wildflowers, look no further than our Bees Please and Hi Butterfly mixes.

Our Bees Please mix includes some of the brightest, most colourful and most nectar-rich wildflowers around. We choose flowers they love to be sure bees and other pollinators come from far and wide to enjoy your sweet-smelling meadow! While Hi Butterfly delivers delightful wildflowers with a bewitching beauty that will have butterflies happily fluttering around in your garden.

All these mixes contain meadow grasses, meaning they will create a nursery for the wildflowers and prevent weeds from growing. The meadow grasses in these mixes make them perfect for covering larger areas because they can create a habitat where wildlife can thrive!

100% wildflower seed mix

Our Absolutely Annuals mix is perfect if you’re looking for a 100% wildflower mix! This mix is fantastic at transforming beds and borders with their flourish of colour, adding a wild side to well-kept areas.

We also have our Bloomin' Marvellous Meadow mix, a luxurious mix of 100% annual and perennial wildflowers. This mix offers beautiful bursts of colour in its first year, followed by gorgeous blooms from the perennial species in the years that follow.

Now you know when the best time to sow wildflowers is, why not find out how best to manage them, so your wildflower meadow can keep surprising you with beautiful blooms – year after year!