Heavy Clay Soils Wildflowers - All Questions

Hi Rebecca

The safeness and suitability of sowing wildflowers in reach of children and pets largely concerns whether consumption / ingestion of the flowers is of a huge concern. Wildflowers such as Buttercups and Foxgloves are poisonous to animals and can be to humans, and are present in all of our wildflower mixes. Each of these wildflowers have minor to moderate toxicity and can prove fatal if consumed / ingested in any amount. Therefore, we would not recommend sowing any of our wildflower seed mixes, or any others, near your children or pets if you have concerns that they would consume them.

Animals have intelligent instincts and by using their scent can work out what is and what isn’t poisonous, so there is low risk of them wanting to snack on your wildflowers. However, if your pet or livestock has a penchant for wolfing down wildflowers or any other garden flora it’s best not to put anything in front of them that could potentially harm them. Likewise, children may have the same curiosity. If you are concerned that your child may try to eat the wildflowers in your garden, then again, we would advise not sowing them.

Hi Jill

There are two times in the year that we recommend sowing a meadow, one is spring and the other is autumn. Autumn is an ideal time because the seeds need to undergo the process of stratification (a freeze) to kick start their germination. If you were to sow the seed now, the wildflowers will not bloom until next spring, early in the season. However if there are grass species within the mix you can expect to see these first within weeks of sowing if the temperature is right. Ideally temperatures for germination need to be 8-10 degrees Celsius, if you have these sort of temperatures consistently for 2 weeks then the seeds should germinate. If you feel that the weather is not guaranteed or it is too cold in your part of the country then I would suggest that you delay sowing until Spring. If you decide to wait until next year and sow in the spring then your meadow will flower in the summer.

Hi Georgina


This is something we haven't tried before and can't guarantee how it will turn out.

It is a very heavy clay based environment but if you wish to try it and as long as you can create a seedbed, we would recommend that you sow on a day when the soil is moist but not saturated.

Heavy Clay Soils Wildflowers. This is a mix of wildflower species that have deep rooting properties and penetrate heavy clay soils and are drought tolerant. This is a mix of annuals, perennials and grasses.

I am sorry that I could not be of more help on this ocassion.

IMPRESS: Clay Master Lawn Seed is a specially blended grass seed mixture designed for clay and heavy clay soil conditions. The tall fescue component has a strong deep rooting system which not only allows it to penetrate your clay soils effectively but ensures a drought tolerant lawn, especially in soils that are prone to dryness. The perennial ryegrass in this mix makes way for a fast-growing and hard-wearing lawn to thrive.

It does have some shade tolerance due to the meadow grass in the mix, but if your lawn really suffers from shade you may wish to blend it with one of our specialised shade mixtures.

Hi Jen


We would not advise walking on the meadow at all but especially not at the beginning. Some wildflowers are delicate and once damaged they will struggle to establish.

Hi Kevin

This is a mix of wildflower species that have deep rooting properties and penetrate heavy clay soils and are also drought tolerant, making them ideal for such areas. This is a mix of annuals, perennials and grasses.

Hi Roger,

If you would like to email us some pictures of the area, we can take a closer look and advise on best to proceed. You can email them to [email protected]

Hi Sue, unfortunately we can not provide the exact height for each meadow mix, as some wildflowers may establish differently in certain areas and conditions. Some of the wildflowers and grasses in the mixes can grow to over a meter though.

Hi Austin, if the seeds are kept in a sealed bag somewhere cool and dry they will last up to 12 months.

Hi Mike, thank you for your question.


I would recommend our Heavy Clay Soils Wildflowers. This is a mix of wildflower species that have deep rooting properties and penetrate heavy clay soils and are also drought-tolerant, making them ideal for such areas. This is a mix of annuals, perennials and grasses.

If this area is very shady, you could sow a mix of Heavy Clay Soil Wildflowers and Shaded Area Wildflowers. Shaded Area Wildflowers consist of annual and perennial wildflowers and grasses that tolerate damp and shaded areas.

I have also included our guide on how to prep and sow a wildflower meadow:

1. Remove any existing grass, plants or flora from the area where you plan to sow your wildflower seed. Failure to do this will produce poor results
2. Further, remove the top 5-10cm to reduce soil fertility
3. Allow the area to cultivate for several weeks, and remove any weeds that may pop in the area during this time
4. Do not be tempted to add topsoil, compost or fertiliser to the area - wildflowers prefer low nutrient conditions
5. After the cultivation, period ensure to remove stones or any other debris and rake the area to create a fine, friable and level seedbed
6. Scatter the seed at a rate of 5g per m2
7. Rake the seed so that it is in amongst the soil
8. Water the just-sown wildflower seed well

If sowing in drought conditions, water is required to keep the area moist in the first 6 weeks after sowing.