8 | Summer 2022
Tips for a Successful Wildflower Garden MARK ANDERSON
owner, Anderson’s Seed and Garden
Planting wildflower seed is a relatively simple task, but it is not completely easy or effortless. Like any worthwhile gardening project, the more time and effort that you are willing to invest into proper preparation, the more successful you will be. The following steps will help create a wildflower garden that will impress and inspire for years to come. STEP ONE: CHOOSE YOUR SEASON Many flower and wildflower seeds can be successfully sown at various times throughout the growing season. Though spring is the most common and conventional time of the year to plant flower seed, you can achieve great success by planting in summer and fall as well. For most temperate and colder regions of the United States, spring planting works best a few weeks before the final frost of the winter season. Seed collections that are predominantly annuals prefer later planting, generally around the last
frost. If the annuals germinate early, and a late frost hits, you could lose your annuals for the season. Though it may seem unusual to plant flower seeds in fall, it is our preferred time of year to plant wildflowers. If you do decide to plant your seeds in the fall, make sure to do so after the first killing frost of the season and when the ground is consistently colder to eliminate any chance of germination. STEP TWO: CHOOSE YOUR SITE Choosing the best possible location on your property can determine the eventual success of your wildflower meadow. The most important factors to consider are first, the amount of average daily sunlight; second, the relative quality of the soil; and third, the accessibility to a water source. Though many wildflowers do tolerate some filtered shade — and a few actually thrive in
it — the vast majority definitely thrive in full sun and will bloom heaviest and longest where exposure is greatest. Therefore, the general rule of thumb when considering the optimum planting site on your property is “the more sun the better.” STEP THREE: DETERMINE YOUR DESIRED COVERAGE There is no perfect answer for how much seed is required to create the perfect wildflower meadow. The reason for this, of course, is that each "wild" gardener has his or her own particular ideas about how a meadow or hillside should look for the desired effect. Though some choose to create a sparse “meadowy” look, most others prefer a denser stand of wildflowers that will dazzle and delight come bloom time. Keep in mind that most perennial and biennial flowers will not bloom the first season, therefore the second and third seasons will
