Meadow flowers management

Question

HI there
I have a very hilly, rocky area with a thin layer of not so fertile soil that I sowed with meadow seed mix in July 2018. Prior to that the area have been covered with gorse bushes. I had all of this removed with an excavator. The seed was sown directly onto the cleared ground (see attached).
I sowed a mix of 80/20 over the entire area (20M x 60M).
So far this year i have only seen a few red poppies and some oxeye daisies. I then cut the grass growth over the entire patch 2 weeks ago.
Im worried I havent been managing the area properly so am looking for advise to make the most out of the area. My only method of cutting the grass is using a strimmer due to the hilly/rocky nature of the ground.

Any tips or advise would be very welcome!
Thanks in advance…

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Answer 1

Sure, we have an article that will help you to manage your wildflower bed. This will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/fgen/planting-wildflowers.htm

Answer 2

thanks for the advise both! The grasses seem to have taken fine I just havent seen many flowers at this stage. It seems like the seed may have therefore taken ok but just need to properly establish themselves. All being well I should see some flowering next year.
Should I introduce yellow rattle to control some of the grasses?
Thanks again

Answer 3

Seeding for native wildflowers is often done in winter as many seeds need a cold period before they will germinate. Did you protect the seed from washing down the hill with straw and netting? Many wildflowers are slow growing, especially the native ones. The entire first season may show minimal top growth while they work to develop deep roots to see them through winter and drought. For their first season they need to be watered regularly as the roots aren't yet deep. Commercial wildflower mixes are often a combination of annuals for instant color and perennials. A few perennials bloom their first year but these are exceptional. If you don't see any growth at all in most of the area then reseed this winter (northern hemisphere) in January. Seeding just before a snow helps the seed settle into the soil. Growing on this steep a hill is challenging. Once your plants are established, they need no on-going care besides occasional weeding. Mowing late in fall is optional.