Wildflower gardens are a great way to add beauty to your yard while also benefiting the environment. They are low maintenance and easy to grow. Wildflowers are native flowers that grow in the wild, so they’re naturally hardy and require minimal care to grow. Once established, relatively little care will be needed. If you want a low-maintenance wildflower garden, learning about which species are easy to grow can help you get started.
What is a Wildflower?
Wildflowers are species of flowers that have shown themselves to be hardy and self-reproducing, with little attention from the gardener.1 Although they will grow wild on their own, they are not necessarily native plants. Wildflower gardens are considered a low-cost alternative to high-maintenance gardening. Many wildflowers prefer poor soil and neglect, making them ideal for tough-to-maintain areas of your property.
The Benefits of Wildflowers
Wildflowers attract beneficial pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and birds. This helps to support biodiversity and can help to increase crop yields in nearby gardens. Wildflowers require less water and maintenance once established, making them a sustainable option. Because they come in a variety of colors and shapes, they are a beautiful addition to any garden.
When to Plant Wildflower Seeds
The best time to plant wildflower seeds is in spring prior to the heat of the summer. Although it can be tempting to plant later in the season while inspiration is blooming around you, know that seeds are less likely to eaten, dry out, or blow away in the spring when temperatures are cooler and moisture is typically more abundant. Planting your wildflowers in spring will also give the seedlings a full growing season to become established and endure the winter.
The Art of Planting Wildflower Seeds
There’s actually an art to planting wildflower seeds! Broadcasting the seeds is the best method. Broadcasting seeds consists of spreading (sprinkling) seeds randomly (usually by hand) across the prepared ground. Broadcasting helps to create a random distribution of seeds and distribution of species contained in the seed mix. In The Tilted Whale Gardens we us a recycled plastic parmesan cheese container. You should add some sand (8:1 ratio) into the container with your seeds. The sand ensures that your seeds don’t clump together and are distributed evenly.
Most types of wildflowers need full sun, which is about six or more hours of sun a day. If you’re planning a wildflower garden in a spot that is shady, look for a shady woodland mix of wildflowers.
Caring for a Wildflower Garden
Once you plant your wildflower garden, there is little to do, besides sitting back and enjoying your garden. You’ll marvel at the birds, bees, and butterflies you’ll attract to your landscape! But keep the following in mind:
Watering: during dry spells will keep things looking their best and won't spoil the plants, making them dependent on your care.
Weeding: should be minimal at first but weeds will try and invade. As the wildflowers grow dense, minimal weeding will be required.
Cutting-back: is an important maintenance chore. In the late fall, after the annuals have gone to seed and the perennials are dormant, the whole area should be cut down to a height of about 4 to 6 inches. If your area is too large to chop by hand, mow with your lawnmower's highest setting. Cutting-back ensures that seed heads drop, tidies up the appearance of the garden, and discourages the growth of any woody perennials that might take over. (NOTE: In The Tilted Whale Garden, we wait until spring so that the birds an eat from the seed heads during the winter.)
Providing a wildflower-rich habitat is easy to do with any of our pollinator -friendly wildflower mixes. Head over to our Seed Shop at www.thetiltedwhale.com and check out the selection of wildflower seeds.
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