SUCCESS WITH AN ANNUAL PICTORIAL MEADOW
First – Calculate Your Seed Requirements
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Make sure you order the right amount of seed for the area to be covered.
Work out the square meterage of the area by measuring (in metres) the length x
breadth. Let’s say it is 5m x 10m which equals 50 square metres.
The sowing rate is 2g per square metres therefore you will need to buy 50 x 2g of
seed to cover the area. This is 100g of seed which can be ordered from the online
shop, by phone or by post using a standard order form.
Preparing the Plot and Sowing the Seed
The ideal site (regardless of size) for an annual Pictorial Meadow is as follows:
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An open, sunny location not overshadowed by trees or buildings.
The soil is of ‘average’ garden quality and has been prepared properly (details to
follow)
The aspect also allows for a free-draining soil which does not waterlog.
Preparation before Sowing
You might need: A knapsack for the herbicide application and appropriate PPE, a rotovator
or a spade, a rake, and patience or just a couple of friendly helping hands if you prefer being
organic!
Clear off the area: Remove any weeds including grass when they are visible. Always follow
the manufacturer’s instructions if/when handling any herbicide. You need to achieve the
‘cleanest’ seed bed that you possibly can. The easiest way is to spray off the weeds
successively as they appear – this may require repeating the process after rotovating or
digging over the ground as you will encourage further weed growth at this point.
Rotovate/Dig over: the cleared plot to a minimum depth of 10cm. Aim for a fine tilth, by
either rotovating twice or lightly raking the area for the seeds to sit in.
Sowing and Rolling
You will need: 2 buckets; a bigger and a smaller one, a bulking agent (sharp or horticultural
sand is best), your PM seeds and a roller or a rake for the final touch.
Bulking up the Seed: Put some sand in the larger bucket. The quantity of sand will
depend on the total quantity of mix as well as your experience and confidence. We
would normally recommend approximately 5 parts of sand to 1 part of seed.
Mixing: Slowly add the full quantity of seed for the area into the bucket and mix
THOROUGHLY until even at the very bottom of the big bucket you cannot see any
unmixed parts of sand/seed.
Sowing the Seed/Sand Mixture: This will take place in 3 steps, and please, do not
use grass seed dispensers:
Step 1: Put 1/3 of the bulked up mix into the smaller bucket, mix again and start
scattering evenly. Feel free to walk over the prepared bed, starting from the one side
to the other in parallel lines, moving every time a line closer to the other side.
Smaller areas can be sown by making moves similar to icing a cake, while for larger
areas it is more like skipping stones move from bottom to top. Make sure you go
through the whole area once with the quantity of mix. If you did that and you still
have leftovers, quickly go through the whole area again until it is finished.
Step 2: Add the second 1/3 of the mix in the big bucket. This time, repeat the
previous step only, instead of sticking at the same path, go across and cover the
whole area.
Step 3 Use the last 1/3 to cover the whole area, this time walking the opposite
direction to the one you did in steps 1 and 2.
Rolling: Use a roller or the back of a spade or even the bottom of your shoes to firm the
seeds in the soil. If the soil is wet at the time of the sowing and/or is rather slow draining
heavy clay that forms a crust easily, it is best just to very lightly rake the seeds in or do the
rolling within 2-3 days when the soil will be drier.
Watering: The annual PM mixes are designed not to require any irrigation during an average
UK summer. If the weather conditions conspire against you and there is no rainfall for a
week or so after sowing then please do not let the meadow die from thirst – equally don’t
overdo the watering these are not pond plants! In warm moist conditions you could expect
to see the first signs of germination in 7-10 days.
Aftercare: You can leave the meadow for as long as you like. Some of our meadows flower
until December and the seeds will be appreciated by the birds as a source of food. Also
many insects love to nest in the dead stems so if you don’t mind the area looking a bit
untidy then please leave the plants for as long as possible. If you want a tidier look then
simply cut them back to ground level in preparation for next year’s display!
Let the Experts Help You!
Our specialist landscape services department installs many Pictorial Meadows across the
country for local authorities, public and private clients together with landowners requiring
the a guaranteed dramatic display. If you would like to take advantage of our meadow
consultancy establishment and maintenance service simply contact us for an appointment
to visit and discuss your requirements.