Special General Meadow Seed Mix

Special General Meadow Seed Mix

Our premium seed mix for spring 2025 consists of a range of native meadow species commonly occurring throughout most of the UK on a wide range of soils. They do need full sun, however, and soils which aren't regularly waterlogged or wildly acidic or alkaline. 

Wildflower meadows are one of the richest, most interesting and attractive habitats in the UK, which hasn't stopped us from destroying most of them. Thank you for doing your bit to put a little bit of them back.

About This Wildflower Meadow Seed Mix

The wildflower seeds in the mix are sustainably harvested from a SSSI - site of special scientific interest - in South Gloucestershire. The seed is carefully and sustainably  harvested using a brush harvester by one of the leading wildflower seeds in the country. We've also added some cornfield annuals to give you colour in the first year of establishment.

Like all our mixes, our special general mix has a LOT of wildflowers, both in terms of species numbers and the % of wildflowers to grasses. Most "off the shelf" mixes only have up to 20% wildflowers; this one has over 50%. As it's harvested from an existing meadow, the grasses are native rather than certified. The mix is appropriate for a wide range of neutral soils.

This mix is very floral, but we have stripped the Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor) out of it.  This seed has very limited viability and must be sown from harvest in summer to the end of December of the same year. Rattle can't be sown in Spring as it needs a prolonged period of cold to trigger germination. For this reason we don't include it in a mix like this, which may be sown in the Spring sowing window. We generally recommend adding it separately.

There are instructions on the back of the packet, but in essence it's easy to get the seed started off. Weed and remove grass in the area you want to seed. Wait until the soil is moist and warm, usually spring or late summer / autumn. Hand broadcast - you'll have to do it by hand because the seeding rate is so low. Don't panic if you think you've screwed up - 4g/square metre is twenty times less than the rate you might seed your lawn at. Add some sand if you're nervous about using too much seed too quickly. Once you have sown the seed, don't bury it; just gently roll or tread in to ensure good contact with the soil. That's it. Our video should be helpful too.

You can expect to receive your seed within five working days of placing an order.

Major species:

Wildflowers

Centurea nigra – Common Knapweed

Cerastium fontanum – Common Mouse Ear

Hypochaeris radicata – Catsear

Linum catharticum – Fairy Flax

Leucanthemum vulgare – Oxeye Daisy

Lotus corniculatus – Birdsfoot Trefoil

Medicago lupulina – Black Medic

Plantago lanceolata – Ribwort Plantain

Primula veris – Cowslip

Prunella vulgaris – Selfheal

Ranunculus acris – Meadow Buttercup

Rhinanthus minor – Yellow Rattle

Trifolium dubium – Lesser Trefoil

Trifolium pratense – Wild Red Clover

Cornfield annuals - Field poppy, Cornflowers

Grasses and Sedges

Alopecurus pratensis – Meadow Foxtail

Agrostis capillaris – Common Bent

Anthoxanthum odoratum – Sweet Vernal-grass

Bromus hordeaceus – Soft Brome

Carex flacca – Glaucous Sedge

Cynosurus cristatus – Crested Dogstail

Festuca rubra – Red Fescue

Hordeum secalinum – Meadow Barley

Holcus lanatus – Yorkshire Fog

Lolium perenne – Perennial Ryegrass

Other species will be present in smaller quantities.

Supplier: Emorsgate Seeds