How to Grow a Wildflower Meadow

Each March and April, the earth seems to spring to life with color. Trees bud and blossom, grass starts growing and flowers start blooming. If you've ever driving on a country road in the Spring, you've probably witnessed one of Mother Nature's most breathtaking scenes: a field covered in a carpet of wildflowers.

What makes this scene so spectacular is that Nature is the designer and gardener. To have such a display happen seemingly spontaneously is a marvelous thought. Of course wildflowers do not grow spontaneously. They have to have the right conditions to thrive. However, many wildflowers seem to thrive in fairly harsh conditions, such as rocky outcroppings, steep cliffs, and even cracks in the sidewalk.

Surely if wildflowers can thrive with out human interaction, they must do even better with a little TLC from a real person. The good news is this is true: you can play "Mother Nature" and create a beautiful wildflower display in your yard. However, if you think you can throw the seed into a nearby field and get good results, you will most likely be disappointed.

If you have a large field a small garden bed, or even a few planters that could use some color, consider planting wildflowers. Here are a few tips to ensure a breathtaking spring display of wildflowers.

Choose Seed

When you choose a wildflower seed mix, consider the region of the country you live in. Flowers that are native to your region will do best in your wildflower garden. Also, consider your mixes ratio or annuals to perennials.

Annual wildflowers only last one growing season, but will produce plenty of seed, sometimes 4-5 times as much as their perennial counterparts. If your wildflower meadow is left to go to seed, then mowed, the seeds will replant themselves, sleep for the winter and reappear as flowers in the spring.

Perennial wildflowers will create a plant that will bloom several years in a row. However, the first year, a perennial wildflower will not produce many or any blooms, because it puts all it's energy into establishing a food system that will get it through the subsequent years.

Finally, many wildflower seed mixes contain inert matter such as rice hulls or vermiculite. This addition of inert material actually helps during planting so the seed is spread more evenly during planting. However, the inert matter may also creates a bit of a false impression. When you see a big bucket of wildflower seeds in your home store or garden center for $19.99, it looks like a great deal. However, if you check the label, you might see it only covers 150 square feet and contains 1 ounce of actual wildflower seed. Some products actually have as little as 1% seed in their mix. Read the labels and make sure you know what you are getting in that bucket or shaker can before you buy.

Prepare the Soil

Soil preparation is one of the most misunderstood steps in planting a wildflower meadow or garden. Many assume that they can act as Mother Nature and simply toss seeds here and there and get stunning results. These gardeners will get some results, but certainly not as good as they could have.

Clear the area you wish to plant of all other plant material. Then, using a rake, rough up the soil to the depth of about 2 inches. Take time to break up dirt clods and remove rocks. After this step, you may want to wait a few days and see if any additional weeds come up. Water your plot of dirt to encourage weed growth, and then use an herbicide to get rid of the weeds. This will give your wildflower seeds the best chance for optimum success by cutting out the competition.

Scatter Seed

The Fall and Spring are great times to plant wildflower seeds. The most important part of planting your wildflower seed is not to over plant. If your seed is planted too thickly, the wildflowers will grow tall and leggy, competing for space with their neighbors. They will put out a lot of green and not that much color. Follow the planting directions on the package. One ounce of wildflower seed should cover about 150 square feet, while four ounces will cover 500 square feet.

If your seed is not already mixed with inert matter, you can mix your seed with sand (4 parts sand to 1 part seed) or rice hulls. Rice hulls are a great option because they will also act as mulch for your seeds, keeping them damp longer after watering. You can scatter your seeds using a broadcast spreader or by hand.

After your seeds have been broadcasted, lightly rake over the area again, just covering the seeds to keep them from being blown away before germination or eaten by birds.

Keep Moist

After you've lightly raked the soil over your wildflower seeds, water the area to dampen it. You will need to keep the seed bed damp for 2-3 weeks while the seeds germinate. If the seeds dry out, they will die and not grow at all.

Within a few months, you will be able to enjoy a gorgeous wildflower meadow. To keep your wildflower meadow coming year after year, wait for your flowers to finish their cycle and dry up. Check the seed pods by opening them up. If the seeds are dark brown or black, you can mow down your meadow. Leave the dead plants where they are and the seed pods will open up naturally and distribute their seed where they will wait for the Spring rain to help them germinate and the whole process will start over again.