"Nell" wrote
snip
I would love to hear from anyone else who has tried (and hopefully
succeeded) in turning the odious task of lawn-mowing into enjoyment of a
profusion of simple wild flowers.

I've got an area of grass and wild flowers with mown pathways, although
unlike you we started from scratch on a plot that had been part of an
arable field and sowed a recommended grass mix.

I've found the plug plant system works well and is less wasteful of seed.
If you grow a few trays of seeds and plant out when you have some sturdy
plantlets, they will happily multiply themselves once established. Also you
can collect your own seed and add more where you need them.

IME it's a good idea to take of a small area of turf rather than try and
plant through it, then the young plants get a chance to take hold before
the grass closes in again.

Can understand you not wanting to have to take off all the turf initially.
Even on a poor soil (mine is light and sandy) you'd be surprised how
vigorously the grass can grow when left to its own devices tho', so one
thing you could do after you take off the last mowing is to give the area a
good old raking to take out as much thatch as possible and expose a bit of
the soil, then seed it with yellow rattle which is parasitic on grass
roots. That should reduce top-growth and the competition with your flowers.

If there's a specialist wildflower nursery near you they are usually a good
source of invaluable advice and inspiration for varieties to try.

It's very rewarding; I love my wild garden. Good luck with yours! :-)

--
Sue