Planting a Wildflower Garden

Why Would I Want a Wildflower Garden?

A wildflower garden or meadow is an easy and low maintenance way to add beauty to an outdoor space. Some people are switching to the wildflower meadow in their backyards instead of a lawn, and these easy to grow flowers are also perfect for edges of property, ditches, or along a driveway. These flowers are pretty to look at and they are an important  food source for butterflies, bees, birds, and other pollinators. There has been a dramatic decline in pollinator numbers in recent decades, providing a poison free food source for them is one way to help this problem. Read on to learn how to plant your very own wildflower garden step by step.

Location, Location

First and most important: find a good spot. Wildflowers need at least 6 full hours of sun to grow, making sure the chosen location receives enough sun is paramount. Also, it may need a bit of water to get established so access to water is helpful. From a spectator perspective, this garden will attract insects and birds of all kinds and can be entertaining to watch when in all its glory, so situating it somewhere that allows it to be enjoyed regularly while in bloom is a good idea. The soil is not so much of a concern as other gardening, if it is an area in which weeds have grown wild flowers will most likely grow just fine. One thing to avoid is areas with poor drainage. After a strong rain, check the intended site after one hour. If there is standing water, this is not a suitable location.

The Right Seed

The right wildflower seed will vary from region to region. Any wildflower can be coaxed to grow in most zones, but choosing native mixes will create the lowest maintenance garden, and for most people the low maintenance factor is typically one of the most appealing characteristics of wildflowers. American Meadows and Holland Wildflower Farm are two well-known companies that sell regional wildflower seed mixes. Also check with locally owned garden supply shops or botanical gardens. Your local extension office may also know of a good source for wildflower seed in your area.

How Much Seed?

In much of North America 1 pound of wildflower seed mix can seed an area of 3000-4000 square feet. In Southern areas of the country where higher rain and warmer temps can increase the number of competitive plants, it is recommended to sow seed more densely, at about a pound for every 2000 square feet.

Preparing an Area

If seeding a small area, the other vegetation can be cleared with hand tools. If doing a large area, you have a few choices. Using a large black tarp/piece of plastic to cover the area for a few weeks can kill underlying vegetation. The area can be tilled, lightly, as the deeper the tilling goes the more seeds will be brought to the surface. Tilling is also detrimental to soil health and releases carbon into the atmosphere. Some people use herbicides to kill the vegetation, we never do this nor do we encourage others to do so. Certain herbicides are linked with cancer and are proven neurotoxins. They also have negative effects on the soil, insects, wildlife, and these chemicals find their way into the water supply. Another option is to do nothing, and just throw your seed mix out there. This method will likely take longer to see your wildflower meadow establish as it will be competing with other plants, but it is the most environmentally friendly way to go.

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When Do I Plant

Wildflower seed can be planted any time of year, as there are many different conditions and germination temperatures in a seed mix. I do not recommend planting during the hottest part of the Summer as it can be an exercise in frustration, the heat and lack of moisture will make it more difficult to get established. Many people plant in Spring after danger of frost, and this is fine, but I choose to plant wildflower seed in the Fall after the first frost for many reasons. Fall sown wildflowers tend to emerge 2 to 3 weeks faster in Spring than Spring sown. Also, I can prepare my planting area one week and then go plant seed the next, whereas in Spring growth happens so quickly that I must sow seed the same day I clear or the new planting area will be overrun with weeds quickly. I like Fall planting because I feel like this is the natural flow of nature as well. Spring and Summer flowers drop their seeds throughout late Summer, Fall, and Winter, being driven into the soil by rains. I have found that mimicking nature as much as possible lends itself to the best possible results. Also, after the first frost has taken out much of the vegetation I find it easier to clear and plant an area.

Planting the Seeds

If using seed balls toss or carefully place the seed balls where you want them. I like to use this method when spreading seeds for guerilla gardening, like in a neglected center divider or planting bed, it is also fun when planting with children. The other method I use is to combine the seed 5 to 1 with 5 parts white sand and 1 part seeds. Sometimes I add extra seeds I have saved to the seed mix at this time. I like using white sand because it is easy to see where I have sown seed, this is useful when doing a large area. You can toss out handfuls, use a hand-held seed spreader, or a large push or pull broadcaster, whichever works for you. Once all of the seed is spread it is important to pound it into the dirt. Some people just walk around on the seed and  jump up and down, others lay a large piece of plywood down and walk back and forth over it, whatever way you want to do it is fine. Kids love to help with this part. You do not need to cover the seed at all. In fact, covering it reduces its ability to germinate.

Getting it established

Once you see the seeds come up, make sure they are getting enough moisture, supplementing if necessary until they are at least 6 inches tall. After this point, you don’t really need to do anything. However, watering when it is very dry will increase the number of blooms.

Spotting Weeds

Some people allow other plants and native grasses in the seed bank to come up with their wildflowers, others prefer not to. An easy way to spot a weed: look at the plant structure and then look around the area you have sown seed. If there are many others that look exactly alike, it is probably one that was in your wildflower mix. If there are only 1 or 2, it most likely was not in your mix. I like to let things grow if I am unsure of what it is until it is identifiable to me because, what if it is something pretty? If it is an undesirable, make sure it gets pulled it before it goes to seed so that it doesn’t plant more of itself.

Don’t Be Afraid to Cut Them

Once your flowers are in bloom feel free to cut some for bouquets. Because a plants goal is to create seeds to perpetuate itself, cutting most flowers will encourage them to strive to bloom again. Many wildflowers can also be dried and made into wreaths and dried arrangements or pressed, experiment with your blooms!

Perennials Take Two Years

In a wildflower mix some of the flowers are annuals and some are perennials. The annuals will bloom the first year, the perennials will take two. So be patient! The second year of your wildflower garden will be even more spectacular than the first.

Planting a wildflower garden is easy, fun, and will provide years of beauty with very little effort. It is also a great way to provide food and habitat to wildlife. Happy planting!