Try wildflower turf if you’d like to create a perennial meadow

AS the days lengthen and light levels increase, the temptation to venture back into our gardens after winter grows stronger by the day. Now the soil is beginning to warm up, it is a good time to get cracking with seed sowing.

Hardy annuals make great plants to have in the garden. They are long flowering and easy to grow and look after. Annuals are great as they help to fill gaps in your border; they are fun for children to be involved with too. Annuals can be grown from seed and sown direct into the soil. They will flower for weeks.

For long-lasting blooms include Cosmos bipinnatus as it makes good height and will continue flowering until the first frost, making it great value for money. The only maintenance required is preparation of the soil: make sure it is not compacted and that it is raked level and free from any weeds. The seedlings need to be able to germinate freely and not become swamped by broad-leaved neighbouring plants which can inhibit the germination process. Ideally a clear area will work best, free from any competition. Once germinated no special treatment is required and they will easily thrive on poor soils.

If your soil is too rich then more foliage than flower will be produced. You can make your own mixes up by choosing your favourite flowers to grow from seed; alternatively, you can buy pre-prepared packet mixes from the garden centre. If creating your own mix, make sure they are all annual seeds that will grow and flower in the same growing season. Annuals will not survive the winter and are usually for summer display. To guarantee success it is best to re-sow again the following spring. Sunflowers are a great choice for children: quick, easy to grow and fun to grow the tallest. They will need staking and support as the flower heads will become top heavy. The seeds provide a valuable food source for birds and wildlife.

If you prefer a permanent perennial meadow which comes back and flowers each year, try wildflower turf. At RHS Garden Harlow Carr we have found wildflower turf to be very successful and have laid it in a variety of locations around the garden. It is grown like ordinary grass turf with perennial wildflowers incorporated within it. It can be lifted and re-laid in exactly the same way as grass turf, just make sure you have prepared and raked the soil so it is good and level. This will give instant impact and will flower as soon as it has rooted, usually within a couple of weeks.

If it becomes very dry or hot you may have to water the turf to help the roots establish. You can buy various different wildflower turf mixes with variant flowering heights. For example at Harlow Carr we have used a short herb wildflower turf giving a green roof to our New Lodge building located within the garden. A taller wildflower turf can be found around the Lakeside and has many Oxeye daisies, Ragged-robin, Red Campion and clover species all incorporated into the turf.

If you have more time and patience you could have a go at establishing a perennial meadow from seed. Choose a flowering seed mixture to your liking with a small percentage of grasses included. Be selective and careful as the grasses can become dominant and take over your choice of wildflowers. To enhance flowering add plug plants into your meadow. This could be plug plants you have grown and raised from seed yourself or bought. Plant them into short grass as this will give less competition. helping the plugs to establish. Plug plants will establish better than broadcasting a lot of seed onto the grass and is more effective; it is also great to see what may naturally come through – you may even get a few surprises like Dactylorhizas popping up!

Annual or perennial meadows both have their place within the garden: both tolerate poor soils and are great for wildlife. Whichever you choose, enjoy.

Jobs to do this week

Continue direct sowing salad and veg crops.

Train and give support to sweet peas.

Keep horticultural fleece handy as frosts are not uncommon, especially after clear bright days.

Begin hardening off bedding plants to acclimatise them for planting out next month.

DIARY DATES

May 28 to June 5: Half-Term Family Fun – Scouting for all

Celebrate 100 years of cub scouts by getting closer to nature this May half-term. Youngsters can learn about the great outdoors on a special trail through the garden’s woodland; learn how to tie knots and strike a fire on an outdoor workshop; make your own catapult, pitch a tent and develop your pioneering, signalling and tree identification skills. Normal garden admission.

May 28: Children’s Woodland Festival

Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate will kick start May half-term at Harlow Carr with a one-day Children’s Woodland Festival. Celebrate Bettys Trees For Life project by joining an outdoor adventure including music, entertainment, storytelling, a woodland trail, face painting and the chance to learn some interesting facts about trees. Normal garden admission.