Well it depends if your wildflower mix consists of regionally adapted native (or exotic) species or just one of those commercialized Âmixes that contain junk like bachelorÂs buttons, Californian poppies, and other such stuff that are either nonnative weeds or not really adapted to your site, growing conditions, or winter. If it is full of plants that are not adapted to your locality, you will see that most will not return next year. If you have some prairie perennials in the mix, it will take atleast 3 years for some of them (purple prairie clover comes to mind) to be noticed Either way, I would strongly recommend leaving wildflower/prairie gardens up over the winter to provide winter cover and shelter to various small wildlife critters, if thatÂs part of the reason you want the wildflower garden. If its strictly ornamental, I would leave it up anyways until spring, then mow it down.

Jennifer, This question really offends me. Stop clogging up the internet with this sort of ignorant, ill-conceived drivel...oh, wait, you asked for POLITE advice... Seriously, I think the four species you bought are all pretty adaptable and should do fine in most soils, even if the soil has a lot of clay, just as long as your fence line isn't too marshy or too shady. I definitely wouldn't add a thin layer of soil on top of the existing soil. I would probably just dig or till the existing soil, remove pieces of sod or weeds to stop them from sprouting, and sow your seeds. If you want you might mix in some organic matter (such as compost) with the existing soil, but I don't think that is necessary in most soils. While you're clearing a spot for the flowers, clear a wide border as well. I try to have at least a foot-wide border cleared because seeds take time to fill in, and the border holds the existing weeds or grass at bay for a while. I think it is better to grow wildflowers in the existing soil rather than try to add a layer of imported soil. Wildflowers grown in the natural soil seem more inclined to root deeply, while those in a layer of imported soil sometimes seem to grow roots only in the imported soil and not develop healthy, deep roots. All of your plants require a fair bit of sunshine, so be careful which side of the shed you plant them on. There may be one or two sides of the shed that are too shady even if the shed sits in the open. If you have shade or marshy areas you can still grow lots of nice wildflowers, but you'll need to select different species. Keep your flowers weeded during the first year or two. After that, once they are established and growing strongly, they will not require much attention. They will compete strongly with any weeds that come along and should be OK with just the occasional weeding and removal of woody vegetation that might spring up. Good Luck!

Thanks TG Thats just what I wanted to know, I wonder when the best time would be to plant the annuals here, as we have this big problem "No Rain even in the Wet Season". I will see if one of my GW friends on the NSW/VIC border would like the other ones, I dont think there would be much humidity there near the Murray River. Appricate your help.......MM.

Meadows are lovely to look at, but depending on the climate not pleasant to walk in: ticks carry diseases aside from being very unpleasant. Anything you mow regularly will eventually be all grass. If you really want to grass the cheapest thing to do is to hire someone with appropriate equipment to mow your meadow once. Then get out there with a lawn mower every week during the growing season. You'll have passable grass by late spring. In the early fall (right after first frost) over seed with a grass suited to your climate. Grass loves cool wet weather, and in the spring there is a lot of competition from other annuals. All that being said, in your shoes I would mow paths. Then you have place to walk in your lovely meadow. Meadows are much more interesting as well as more natural than sod, and they don't require constant mowing, a chore I'm going to bet you aren't going to like once you have extended experience with it. Many many people go to great lengths to create a meadow for exactly these reasons.