Lawn or meadow? How to create a blooming oasis in your garden

Lawn or meadow? How to create a blooming oasis in your garden

Species-rich meadow attracts many pest fighters

If you choose a meadow instead of a lawn, you kill several birds with one stone - literally. Because meadows with many different types of blooming flowers and herbs attract numerous insects and small animals, which kill the pests in your garden in a completely natural and non-chemical way. Meadows are home to bees, bumblebees, butterflies, hedgehogs, birds etc. and are therefore necessary for the preservation of biodiversity. Not to mention the fact that such a sea of ​​flowers is wonderful to look at in summer and you don't have to do much work with it.

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Small blooming oasis in the middle of a lawn

Nonetheless, a meadow naturally also has disadvantages, because on the one hand it cannot be mowed with a conventional lawnmower - like a lawn - and on the other hand it also houses small animals that the gardener does not really like to see: mice, moles & Co. feel the same here well. But you do not have to convert the entire lawn into a meadow; instead, it can also be sufficient to convert only a small part - ergo as a blooming highlight in the middle of a green sea of ​​lawn.

How to transform your lawn into a meadow

A lawn can be transformed into a flower meadow with little effort. Please note, however, that meadows tend to prefer poor soil (the leaner the soil, the better herbs and flowers thrive - dandelions, nettles, etc.) and a sunlit location are more likely to romp on rich soil. To convert, do the following:

  • Stop fertilizing the lawn in the previous year.
  • Scarify the lawn thoroughly in the following autumn or spring.
  • Then apply a mixture of earth and sand to a rather greasy surface.
  • Starting in May, sow the seeds for meadows.

Do not use fertilizers for further maintenance of the meadow. The more you fertilize the meadow, the more competitive plants will prevail and biodiversity will suffer. Only intensively used meadow areas (e.g. for hay production or grazing) should be fertilized from time to time. In the first year after sowing there is no mowing, in the following year mowing should finally take place in the second half of June.

Tips & Tricks

Pay attention to the quality of the seeds: Most common meadow flower mixtures contain only a few annual flowers that will quickly disappear from the scene. Instead, it is better to buy individual seed bags of your choice and put together your own mix of seeds.