There seems to be a growing interest in cultivating wildflowers in the home or cottage garden. And lots of good reasons for doing so!
Let's look at some of the practical reasons, first. Although the cultivation of wildflowers requires some time and effort initially, in the long run an established bed requires far less maintenance than a traditionally cultivated garden. If you're a busy person, the low maintenance aspect, along with the almost continuous display of color and variety offered by a wildflower garden may have great appeal.
Another time saving advantage is that wildflowers require less watering than lawns and, therefore, perform well in dry spells, or when you are on vacation.
Aesthetically, a wildflower garden offers a pleasant change from the rather formal gardening we're getting used to creating. In addition to which, wildflowers are excellent for fresh-cut and dried flower arrangements, and potpourris.
Ecological advantages range from preserving water tables (because wildflowers generally need less moisture than lawns to flourish), to attracting varieties of birds and butterflies which may not have visited your garden before.
If you are interested in cultivating wildflowers, it is best to obtain a high quality seed mixture from your local nursery. Don't collect plants and seeds in wild areas where you might make the mistake of further endangering species that are nearing extinction and are protected by law.
As I mentioned before, the initial cultivation requires some effort for best results. Wildflowers grow best in soil that has been prepared as a seedbed with proper drainage and lots of moisture. Both heavy clay and sandy soils can be improved by the addition of peat moss, organic compost and manure. The soil should be tilled to a depth of at least 6 inches and raked smooth. Since this preparation and tilling provides great growing conditions for weeds as well as your wildflower seeds, it's best to delay seeding for about three weeks. Keep the area watered to encourage weed growth, and then pull out the weed seedlings by hand. Don't till the area again or you may encourage more weed seeds to surface. Simply rake the bed smooth again and sow the wildflower seeds. If you mix the seeds with two parts sand and one part seed, you'll get a more even distribution. Rake the seeds in very lightly and water thoroughly.
Try to maintain a good, consistent moisture level for 4 to 6 weeks and then gradually reduce watering. Further weed control may be required once the wildflower seedlings have become established. Fertilizing isn't recommended for wildflowers because they don't really need additional nutrients, and because increased nutrients will encourage weed growth. It's far better to add nutrients to a wildflower bed through additional compost or composted cattle manure.
Make sure that you choose a wildflower seed mixture that has been blended for growth in this area, otherwise you may have a disappointing experience instead of a wonderful wild garden.
