Wildflower seed mixes...

ok, this is going to read strangely for those of you in the UK, where you can get seed mixes appropriate for your country (but then I think, a seed mix for Scotland won't work for Sussex, and vice versa?).

I have never seen wildflower seed mixes available in Belgium.

We are currently holidaying in the Rhone Alps - hence I've been quiet these past two weeks. We went into a garden centre today, and I saw a selection of wildflower seed mixes general / nectar-rich / drought tolerant. I don't think these were region specific. I hesitated because of price, but comparing them with Chiltern Seeds, I see that they were more than reasonable (8,45 euro for 10m2 seeds).

I would like to get some wildflower seed mix for two areas in our garden. One is very dry, sandy, poor soil, slightly acidic (my "heathland" soil). The other is at the lower end of the garden, still too dry for rhubarb to cope, but much moister, and richer than at the top. Both face South west. Dry, rather than moist. We have long winters, long summers, and short inter-seasons. The local farmer has sown cornflower, poppy, larkspur (I think) and a few others in the nature-strips at the edge of the fields (don't know what these are called in the UK)...

My basic question is:
Would you go for a wildflower mix for an area milder than your current region, (ie France) or for a wetter/colder region than you (ie the UK)?

And if for a warmer region, for wet, or dry (I assume that wildflowers, like other plants, do better in a drier environment, if colder than they expect, as cold and wet is always worse than cold and dry?)?

 

Apologies to admins again - too much holiday alcohol /joy here, despite the crisp layer of snow on Mont Blanc - should have been in wildflower section, not wildlife...

...better pour myself a glass of water, and head to bed!

 

I hope you're enjoying your holiday Sian.

Bearing in mind you have a well draining sandy soil I'd go for the mix for a milder region and a drier climate. However, to cover all possibilities and pocket permitting I'd buy and try all of them @Sian in Belgium .

 

@Sheal, you're tempting me!!

Well, we managed to get all of our deposit back on our gite (always expect to be "taxed" with two powerful big dogs), so I celebrated with buying some more wildflower seeds!!

 

That's the way to go!

 

Rather than strip off what little green growth there is on the sandy soil (which would expose the unstable surface), I plan to sow the seeds in little plug-pots. Toilet rolls cut in half, to be exact! Then when there is a good sign of germination, I will harden the seedlings off, and set the "plugs" of seed into the ground, about 6" apart.

To those who have planted wildflower meadows, do you think this method will work? (Plan to start sowing this month)

 

Not any help to your question, our local community gardener planted quite a few areas last year with wild flower mix, they looked lovely, I got congratulated twice, being known as the local gardener.
They started to sprout again this year, then I noticed them all strimmed down. I asked him why next time I saw him, orders from above. I then tried to explain about self seeding, which was surely the idea, he said he wouldn`t do it again, I am sure/hope he took it back to his boss, who is frightened by me for some reason,