Wild Flower Gardening
A wildflower garden trades the tidy structure of a traditional bed for something looser and more naturalistic — and once established, it's often far lower-maintenance too.
Starting a Wildflower Meadow
Clearing existing grass and weeds thoroughly before sowing seed gives wildflowers the best chance to establish without heavy competition. A regional wildflower seed mix, matched to your specific climate, performs far better than a generic mix, since it's suited to your area's soil and rainfall patterns.
Fall sowing, in many climates, allows seeds to naturally stratify over winter and germinate strongly the following spring.
The first year of a wildflower meadow often looks sparse or weedy while roots establish — most wildflower plantings really come into their own by the second or third year.
Ongoing Maintenance
A wildflower meadow generally needs just one annual mowing, done after seeds have dropped in late fall, rather than the regular mowing and feeding a traditional lawn or bed requires.
