Create a flowered lawn
Becoming more and more fashionable, mixtures of flower seeds make it possible to create a flowered lawn and to render large surfaces more beautiful at little cost.
The decorative effects are wonderful and it produces a magnificent sight which changes naturally over a period of weeks.
The soil must be well prepared for maximal results and the seeds should be carefully chosen. Here are the main points to follow:
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Work the soil well , the earth should be finely turned over.
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If there are a lot of weeds, do a 'false' sowing - that is, let the weeds develop for around ten days, then rip them out, then sow your mixture of flowers two or three days afterwards.
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The doses of seeds are very small (2 to 3 grammes per sq. metre), which make sowing difficult. It is best to calculate the weight of seeds for the surface, then sow them with a mixture of sand, very fine compost, or even buckwheat hulls. Sowing in large doses doesn't give good results.
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Sow in reheated soil: ideally from March to May depending on the regions, or in Autumn for certain perennial mixtures.
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There's no need to water, except if there's a dry period and then only at the moment of sowing.
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Don't use fertilzer: this encourages growth and abundance of vegetation, which isn't good for flowering.
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At the end of Autumn, mow the lawn with a flail mower - this allows the grains to sow themselves again naturally.
Yearly mixtures re-sow naturally but since the composition evolves it is recommended to re-sow yourself every two years, or even every year. However, perennial mixtures (rustic, wildflowers) composed of a mix of yearlys, biennials and hardy perennials can be left for several seasons.
What we call "Japanese Lawns" are in fact mixtures of flower seeds combined with grass seeds. Mowing is done only after the flowers have wilted - apart from the lovely visual effect of the flowery lawn, the land will keep a pleasant aspect in Winter.
Good sowing everybody!