Wildflowers are the perfect addition to any backyard. Marsh Blue Violets or Orange Coneflower can attract the attention of bees and hummingbirds, enhancing the sense of tranquility that blankets your backyard while nourishing your plant life with pollinating honey bees. For those homeowners longing to connect with nature, follow these few tips and tricks. In no time, you can enjoy your peaceful backyard oasis, complete with a wildflower garden.
Getting started with wildflowers
The first step is to conduct research and identify the seeds recommended for your regional climate, locale, and unique backyard setting. For optimal results, gardeners find it helpful to consult the gardening experts on which seeds to buy and how to plant them. Companies like Nature’s Seed offer decades of experience and high-quality seeds to ensure local gardeners’ satisfaction.
Why plant wildflowers
Wildflowers are aesthetically-pleasing and create a sense of calm in your backyard garden. Natural beauty in the form of flowers has always been a go-to strategy for transforming a yard into something eye-catching work of art, bursting with vibrant color. To add personality and character to your yard, The Naptime Reviewer recommends interspersing pops of color between bushes, hedges, and other greenery.
In addition to being easy on the eyes, wildflowers also attract insects that catalyze these natural processes. Mother Earth News cites wildflowers as an integral part of a delicate ecosystem that attracts pollinators and feeds animals.
Along with ensuring pollination, these wildflowers offer a plethora of other practical benefits, earning a well-deserved spot in your backyard garden. These wildflowers provide erosion control while performing other essential ecological functions. For example, these wildflowers act as a natural recycling agent which encourages water filtration, composting, and land repurposing.
Comparatively, wildflowers aren’t finicky. These flowers are versatile and will grow in almost any type of soil, meaning they’ll endure the natural elements of most areas in the U.S.
Planting tips
For those gardeners squeezing in watering and planting time between their hectic work schedules, you’ll need to have some quick tips on-hand to refer back to during the planting process. After all, you won’t have time to scroll through pages of information on gardening know-how. So, here are the basics you’ll need to tuck into your back pocket.
- HGTV recommends choosing a planting location that receives a minimum of six hours of sunlight for best results.
- Sow late enough in the spring and early enough in the fall to avoid frost.
- After distributing the seed, cover it lightly with dirt using a rake, then cover the layer of dirt with straw mulch to keep it from blowing or washing away.
- Houzz recommends selecting resilient plants in urban areas to withstand polluted air, pests, poor soil quality, and excessive heat.
- Plant a healthy mix of seeds so that you always have some wildflowers in bloom throughout the growing season from spring to fall.
- Design a garden with taller plants placed in the back behind shorter plants.
- Consult with experienced gardeners or yard care experts about how much seed to distribute per square foot.
- HGTV recommends using a quarter of a pound of seed for every 1000 square feet as a general guide.
Wildflowers perfect for urban backyards
The following wildflowers make an excellent choice for urban gardens:
- Yarrow
- Aster
- Purple prairie clover
- Black-eyed Susan
- Tall blazing star
- Coneflower
- Foxglove beardtongue
- Golden Alexanders
- Blue wild indigo
- Butterfly milkweed
- Red columbine
Possible challenges
Inexperience can result in disaster for those novice wildflower gardeners. Do your research before planting wildflowers or face the consequences of a poorly-planned backyard. The Naptime Reviewer warns gardeners of the possibility of wasting hours each week to tend to a poorly-planned flower garden, which is why you need to select the best wildflowers proven to blossom in regional climates resembling yours.
Unfortunately, birds are the enemy of any gardener planting a wildflower garden, as they will munch on your seed without remorse. It’s no secret that birds will scour your yard for loose seeds, just waiting patiently until any gardener is out-of-sight. Then, they’ll swoop down and feast on your hours of hard work. HGTV suggests using pest control methods to avert birds that could terrorize your wildflower garden. Reflective tape, bird netting, and motion-activated sprinklers are all options for keeping the birds at bay.
While wildflowers are not technically challenging to grow, you’ll have to follow a few simple rules to ensure your garden thrives. For example, don’t plant wildflower seeds with fescue or ryegrass. Grasses that thrive during cooler months will crowd wildflowers just as they start to bloom.
Remember, not all wildflowers are not the same. Understanding the different needs of woodland and meadow flowers will make a significant difference in your wildflower garden’s appearance. Note that woodland wildflowers require well-drained soil, light shade, rich organic soil, a leaf mulch covering, and plenty of water.
Sunlight is the most important. Meadow wildflowers require a minimum of six to eight hours of sunlight exposure per day, plenty of water early in the year, moderately fertile and well-drained soil, and shelter. To give your meadow wildflowers the necessary shade, plant non-invasive plant types that shield your wildflowers from sun overexposure. You can also use light mulch for protection.
Summary
Wildflower gardens are easy to grow and perfect for new gardeners. As a low-maintenance type of garden, these wildflower gardens capture a sense of wild abandon and promote relaxation in your garden oasis. Purchasing good-quality seeds that are likely to grow well in your backyard is an excellent start to achieving the wildflower garden you’ve always imagined.
