Meadow advice, please!

Okay, it's not really going to be a meadow (too small) but that's the closest term I can think of. I live on a corner and at the side I have a stretch that's maybe 20' wide (from my wooden fence to the street) and 40' long. There is a drainage ditch between the fence and the street, a bit closer to the street, running all the way to the front street, maybe 120 feet? Not sure. Anyway, I want to plant wildflowers on the slope that's closer to the fence so I won't have to mow it anymore. The other side of the ditch is the county's, but I still have to mow it; not sure what I'll do on that side. I think zoning demands SA -- I'm just trying to eat away at the SA I HAVE to mow.

Anyway! I've planted pampas grass along the fence and hopefully it will take. (Oleander and azalea died -- NOT good soil.) It has fairly well established SA grass. What I want to do is sprinkle seeds along the area between the PG and the ditch -- purple coneflower, black-eyed susan, and cosmos (which grows like a weed here). Maybe a little yarrow here and there. Since such flowers are dropping seeds now, I figure I can drop them now, and they'll come up over the next year and hopefully establish a plant kingdom out there over time.

Any suggestions or advice would be very welcome. Will these plants crowd out the grass, which is part of the goal? Or will I just have a major mess if I don't pull out the SA? I've even thought of spraying it with roundup before I drop the seeds, but I'm afraid we'll get more rain and the erosion will get totally out of control. I also plan to sprinkle dichondra seeds at the bottom of the ditch -- it does very well here.

Anyone see disaster looming with this plan?

Thanks!

I did something similar to what you are proposing, but I had bermuda mixed with saint agustine
if you have very thick grass and drop your seeds in there it will be wasted, wait till fall, mow the grass as low as you can, basically shave it, and rake the clippings, you can use those as mulch or put them in the compost.
After that, rake it again with a soil rake to make sure that some soil is exposed, then spread your seed and tamp it down, water gently and keep moist until the seeds sprout.
If you don't have much seed, you might try doing only half the space.
Here is a link to my picture story;
http://landscaping.com/ls/view/65/
Josephine.

Oh, Josephine, I am forever grateful! Thank you SO much! This is great!

Josephine, have you ever put together a plant list of the flowers you have on that slope? I recognize some, but would love to know what is all there. They all complimeant each other so beautifully.

Lantana, dianthus, coneflower, yarrow, goldenrod, something, and something else? That's my guess, in picture order.

Oooo oooo do I get a prize?

Thank you Ladies, the slope is different every year, but always beautiful.
Yes you guessed right on most of them, I will try to make a list of the plants growing there.
I think those pictures are form three years ago.

That would be wonderful, Josephine. Like Brigid, i have two areas I'm trying to make into a "meadow like" area. I want them all native and one I would like to back it up with native grass. Does the Native Plant Society sell grasses at their annual sale?

I am not sure they will, but we at the wildscape sale will have some grasses, here is a link to the plant list, scroll down to see all of them, and click on the ones you like to see the large picture and details. You can also check the website it is lovely.
http://www.thewildscape.org/plant-sale-pix.php

Thank you! They have so many grasses, that's great. The prices look nice too. I may be able to start my new beds sooner than I thought. And I'll be in Dallas already for Sylvia's hosta meeting. I'm excited.

It would be great to see you there, but if you go try to be there at opening time, they go fast.

Thanks, will do. If I can't get there at opening time I may send over my Mother in law. She lives around the corner from Randol Mill park and I know she would enjoy herself too.