You will have to do some management to help the new planting get well established. No such thing a s a management free native planting -- not in the weedy world we live in today!

If there is any way to do it, I think you'll have lots more luck if you try to kill off the existing vegetation first. Is there any way to Roundup the area? You may get a few things to live by just throwing seeds in there, but it's a long shot.

I went into the space between these two fences about three weeks ago. I pulled and cut back scrub shrubs that had started back there and noticed that there really isn't much vegetation other than those.

so I went ahead and sowed the native seed from Easy Wildflowers (Perennial Wildflower Seed Mix For Average to Good Soil) http://www.easywildflowers.com/quality/mix.dry.area.htm
and then added joe-pye weed, sweet black-eyed susan, and a few other things I had laying around. I also pitched all of my cuttings from my swamp milkweed and new york asters in there.

we'll see what happens in spring...it's definitely too narrow for any maintenance.

Laura
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You say you "went into the space between these two fences about three weeks ago" and posted Dec. 19. A lot of competition from existing veg that will prob. sprout come Spring and just among themselves w/ the amount of seed you sowed. Good luck, but I would start fresh in the spring, kill off everything (Roundup a couple times) and then seed as you wish. Maybe some plants will germinate (save them?), but unless you removed all old weeds and shrubs they will prob. choke out the seedlings. Just my thoughts. Best to your efforts. DONT GIVE UP! ;~)

I don't understand why you would go onto someone elses property to cut their lawn. I would let the city give them a citation and force your neighbor to hire a lawn care company to handle that. They should be paying you for mowing their lawn if you continue.

As far as the wildflower seeds go, I would have used Ornamec to kill the grassy weeds, then seeded the area. There will be a lot of competition with the grasses. But, some of the seeds may germinate and make it look all right. I guess you will find out in the spring.

we actually don't cut their lawn, we just go over when the wild brush gets out of control and starts hanging over our fence or growing over the fence (shading my prairie plants) and cut them down.

in october a new polish couple moved in and the wife is a gardener. we'll see how the place changes next summer.

meanwhile I went into between the fences and there really isn't anything growing in there once I cut all of the brush down. when I say brush I mean woody plants.

I am going to try to get the weed whacker in there come spring and cut back everything once or twice to give the natives a chance.

I seeded with JoePye weed, swamp milkweed, false sunflower, asters, grey headed coneflower, sweet black eyed susan and whatever else I had laying around. we'll see how it turns out.

Laura