California bluebells and red flax
One of spring’s many joys are the fields of wildflowers that we often see growing along the side of the road. It is one of the many miracles of nature how such lovely flowers can grow in the wild without any help from people.
I find it kind of ironic that if we want to grow these flowers of the wild in our own garden we have to give them a little assistance to get them going. But, the preparation is fairly simple and the rewards are definitely well worth the effort.
Arroyo lupine with white gaura
As with many things in the garden, planting begins in advance, and in the case of wildflowers, fall is the best time to sow the seeds for spring bloom.
I’ve planted wildflower gardens throughout my career, but I’ll never forget my first one. It was on a golf course and I sowed quite a bit of wildflower seed in that small area – and I mean a LOT of seed. The wildflowers were growing so thickly together and probably would have looked nicer if I had used less seed and/or thinned them out a little once they started to grow. But, I loved that little wildflower garden.
If you like wildflowers, how about setting aside some space in your garden to plant your own?
I have shared my tips on creating a wildflower garden in my latest article for Houzz. I hope you enjoy it.
Plant a Wildflower Garden in Fall for Spring Blossoms
**Do you have a favorite wildflower?
Noelle Johnson, aka, 'AZ Plant Lady' is a horticulturist, certified arborist, and landscape consultant who helps people learn how to create, grow, and maintain beautiful desert gardens that thrive in a hot, dry climate. She does this through her consulting services, her online class Desert Gardening 101, and her monthly membership club, Through the Garden Gate. As she likes to tell desert-dwellers, "Gardening in the desert isn't hard, but it is different."
My autumn plantings are different than yours, but the same theory goes. Many plants like this cool time of year.
Thanks for the reminder! The DBG included a package of wildflower seeds in my "Butterfly Garden in a Box" purchase in March. I've been waiting for the right time to plant them.
On a related note, I saw what looked to be some sort of sunflower growing wild along the roads this summer, particularly on the Beeline south of Fountain Hills. Any idea what they would be? The were tall and had multiple flower heads per stem.
Thanks.
Hi Denise,
I've seen those 'Butterfly Garden in a Box' at the plant sale before – what a fabulous idea. I'm not sure what type of sunflower those are, but will take a look next time I drive through 🙂