Planting A Wildflower Garden - Part 2: Choosing Flowers to Plant

Now that your spot is prepared, what types of wildflowers should you plant? You may want to come up with a theme or a certain group of species, or go with what time frames you want your flowers to bloom in. For example, I think it would be a rather nice plan to have a wild-flower garden with a succession of blooms from early spring to late fall.

Let us start off with March, the hepatica, spring beauty and saxifrage. Then comes April bearing in its arms the beautiful columbine, the tiny bluets and wild geranium. For May there are the dog-tooth violet and the wood anemone, false Solomon's seal, Jack-in-the-pulpit, wake robin, bloodroot and violets. June will give the bellflower, mullein, bee balm and foxglove. I would choose the gay butterfly weed for July. Let turtle head, aster, Joe Pye weed, and Queen Anne's lace make the rest of the season brilliant until frost.

Let us talk a bit about the likes and dislikes of a few of these plants. After you get started you can keep on adding to this wild-flower list on your own as you discover what plants grow well in your area and how they like to be treated.

Hepatica nobilis. Purple form. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There is no one who doesn't love the hepatica. Before the spring has really decided to come, this little flower pokes its head up and puts all else to shame. Tucked under a covering of dry leaves the blossoms wait for a ray of warm sunshine to bring them out. These embryo flowers are further protected by a fuzzy covering. This reminds one of a similar protective covering which new fern leaves have. In the spring a hepatica plant wastes no time on getting a new suit of leaves. It makes its old ones do until the blossom has had its day.

You will find hepaticas growing in clusters, sort of family groups. They are likely to be found in rather open places in the woods. The soil is usually rich and loose. So these should go only in partly shaded places and under good soil conditions. If planted with other woods specimens, give them the benefit of a rather exposed position, that they may catch the early spring sunshine. I should cover hepaticas over with a light layer of leaves in the fall. During the last days of February, unless the weather is extreme, take this leaf covering away. You'll find the hepatica blossoms all ready to poke up their heads and bloom!

The Spring Beauty hardly allows the hepatica to get ahead of her. With a white flower which has dainty tracings of pink, a thin, wiry stem, and narrow, grass-like leaves, this spring flower cannot be mistaken. You will find spring beauties growing in great patches in rather open places. Plant a number of the roots and allow the sun good opportunity to get at them, for this plant loves the sun.

The other March flower mentioned is the saxifrage. This belongs in quite a different sort of environment. It is a plant which grows in dry and rocky places. Often one will find it in chinks of rock. There is an old tale to the effect that the saxifrage roots twine about rocks and work their way into them so that the rock itself splits. It is often found in dry, sandy places right on the borders of a big rock. It has white flower clusters borne on hairy stems.

The columbine is another plant that is quite likely to be found in rocky places. The nodding red heads bob on wiry, slender stems. The roots do not strike deeply into the soil; in fact, often the soil hardly covers them. Now, just because the columbine has little soil, it does not signify that it is indifferent to the soil conditions. For it always has lived, and always should live, under good drainage conditions. I wonder if it has struck you how really hygienic plants are? Plenty of fresh air, proper drainage, and good food are fundamentals for plants and for humans!

It is evident from study of these plants how easy it is to find out what plants like. After studying their feelings,  do not make the mistake of huddling them all together under poor drainage conditions.

A small patch of Tiny Bluets (Houstonia sp.). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I always have a feeling of personal affection for the bluets. When they come I always feel that now things are beginning to settle down for the summer. They start with rich, lovely, little delicate blue blossoms. As June gets hotter and hotter their colour fades a bit, until at times they look quite worn and white. Some people call them Quaker ladies, others Innocence. Under any name they are charming. They grow in colonies, sometimes in sunny fields, sometimes by the road-side. From this we learn that they are more particular about the open sunlight than about the soil.

If you desire a flower to pick and use for bouquets, then the wild geranium is not your flower. It droops very quickly after picking and almost immediately drops its petals. But the purplish flowers are showy, and the leaves, while rather coarse, are deeply cut. This latter effect gives a certain boldness to the plant that is quite attractive. The plant is found in rather moist, partly shaded portions of the woods. I like this plant in the garden. It adds good color as long as blooming time lasts.

There are lots of wild flowers I might have suggested, and I won't go through the rest of the season's list here. These I have mentioned were not given for the purpose of a flower guide, but with one intent: to demonstrate the importance of understanding how to study soil conditions for the work of starting a wild-flower garden.

If you are still uncertain, just take one or two flowers and study just what you selected and where they like to grow, and then see how they do in your garden. Once you've seen how these few do, you can add more variety to your garden next year. Enjoy the learning process, and your beautiful wildflower garden!

Planting A Wildflower Garden: Part 1 - Preparing Your Spot

A wild-flower garden has a most attractive sound. One thinks of long tramps in the woods, collecting material, and then of the fun in fixing up a real wild garden.

Many people say they have no luck at all with such a garden. However, it is not a question of luck, but a question of understanding, for wild flowers are like people and each has its personality. What a plant has been accustomed to in nature it desires always. In fact, when removed from its own sort of living conditions, it sickens and dies. That is enough to tell us that we should copy Nature herself.

When you are hunting wild flowers, as you choose certain flowers from the woods, notice the soil they are in, the place, conditions, the surroundings, and the neighbours.

Wildflowers. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Suppose you find dog-tooth violets and wind-flowers growing near together. Then place them so in your own new garden. Suppose you find a certain violet enjoying an open area - then it should have the same in your garden. If you wish wild flowers to grow in a tame garden, you must make them feel at home - and that means you need to trick them into almost believing that they are still in their native haunts.

Wild flowers ought to be transplanted after blossoming is over. Take a trowel and a basket into the woods with you. As you take up a few, a columbine, or a hepatica, be sure to take with the roots some of the plant's own soil, which must be packed about it when replanted.

The bed into which these plants are to go should be prepared carefully before you obtain your plants. It is not a good idea to bring those plants back and let them sit over a day or night before planting. They should go into their new quarters at once. The bed needs soil from the woods, deep and rich and full of leaf mold. The drainage system should be excellent. Some people think that all wood plants should have a soil saturated with water. But the woods themselves are not water-logged. If you have heavy, wet soil, you may need to put in some extra work, and dig your garden up very deeply and put some stone in the bottom. Then replace the soil. And on top, where the top soil once was, put a new layer of the rich soil you brought from the woods.

Before planting, water the soil well. Then as you make places for the plants, put into each hole some of the soil which belongs to the plant which is to be put there.

Once your bed is prepared, you are ready to collect plants to fill it, and build your beautiful new wildflower garden!

Be sure to check back next week when we will share some ideas and suggestions for what flowers to plant, and how to choose the right ones for your wildflower garden.

Summer Gardening for the Butterflies

There are many different reasons that different people decide to plant summer gardens. One common reason that is becoming more popular these days as people to seek to entertain their children through little things done closer to home is to attract butterflies. This is much easier done than one might think if you live in the right environment for these lovely insects to thrive and flourish.

Michaelmas Daisies attract a lot of butterflies and bees.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Butterflies are beautiful creatures with very short life spans, and maybe it's for this reason that they seem to be attracted to beautiful things during their short lives. Brightly colored flowers attract butterflies in droves. This means that flowers such as aster, marigold, black-eyed Susan, and butterfly weed are all known to attract butterflies.

Another thing you may wish to consider when selecting flowers for the purpose of attracting these delightful winged creatures to your summer garden is the nectar. This is the essential food for butterflies so a garden that is filled with more nectar-producing flowers is likely to garner more than its fair share of attention from the butterflies nearby. The greater the selection of nectar-producing flowers the greater the number of butterflies your garden is likely to attract so be sure to plant plenty and prune them in a manner that produces maximum flowers for maximum impact.

In addition to the flowers in your summer garden there are other methods that may be used to attract butterflies to the delight of young and old alike. One of those methods is by placing a several pieces of ripe fruit in your garden. This is another treat for butterflies to enjoy and will attract many that may be in the area.

One thing to remember when planting to attract butterflies is that they do adore worshipping the sun. This means that shady types of gardens aren't best suited for attracting them and won't keep them around for long even if a few happen by. Plant your butterfly garden in an area that benefits from the full force of the sun most of the day in order to entertain the most possible butterflies, and keep in mind that different butterflies are attracted to different plants both as caterpillars and as butterflies. A little further study may produce the best results when seeking the most suitable plants for your butterfly garden depending on the type of butterflies you most hope to attract.

 Monarch butterfly(Danaus plexippus) on a Zinnia Flower - Zinnias are favored by butterflies, many gardeners add zinnias specifically to attract them. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You should also avoid using pesticides in a flower garden built to attract butterflies. It wouldn't make sense to attract butterflies to your garden only to harm them through exposing them to chemicals while paying your summer garden a visit. Employ organic gardening methods in your butterfly garden for the best results.

You should also make sure there is a source of water nearby in order to keep the butterflies well hydrated. They need water just like any other animal. Many gardens these days add water features that keep the water moving (best for avoiding mosquito infestations) while having it freely available for the animals that we are hoping to attract such as birds and butterflies.

Our summer gardens are an investment of both time and attention. It is great when we can accomplish more than one beautiful result from our hard work and effort. A summer garden designed to attract butterflies is a great way to achieve just that.

Resources on Butterfly Gardening: 
   

Choosing The Right Plants For Your Summer Flower Garden

If flowers are your thing or if you plan to include some flowers in your summer garden then you should take a moment to learn about those flowers or flowering plants that are best suited to summer months and what those plants like by way of sunlight and shade. Not all flowers are created equal when it comes to withstanding the heat of the summer sun and some require a little more care than others. Keep all of these things in mind when planning your summer garden and choose wisely according to the type of care you wish to provide.

Summer Garden (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is a general guide to the various types of plants that are well suited for a summer garden and not necessarily those that are well suited to be planted together. Study the flowers you decide you would like to include in your summer garden in order to insure you keep those that love water and dislike sun away from those that thrive with little water and copious amounts of sun. In other words you will need to conduct a more thorough study of the flowers you decide to include in your summer garden in order to determine the proper placement of these flowers for the most color, effect, and the best possible life for the flowers you choose.

The following are some fun sun-loving flowers you may wish to include in your summer garden. Geraniums are bright little splashes of color that are ideally suited for a summer garden. They happen to work well for creating borders or simply providing a highlight of color in a bed of green and do quite well in pots on their own or mixed with other colorful summer flowers. The Hibiscus is a beautiful spot of color that will lend a tropical feel to your summer garden. A welcome addition to many gardens, they may grow quite tall so keep them to the back of the summer garden to allow the full array of color from all summer plants to capture the eyes of visitors. Marigolds are another popular addition to most summer gardens. With a wide array of colors from which to choose, and the ability to keep pesky bugs at bay, it is no small wonder that these flowers remain a popular favorite for sunny patches within the summer garden.

A Hibiscus flower. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Shade-loving flowers also abound for summer gardens everywhere. Most gardeners find heavily shaded spots within their lawns or gardens to be a particular challenge. Perhaps some of these suggestions will help. Impatiens are widely popular choices for shady spaces and provide a wide range of bright colors perfect for creating fun and bright borders. The viola is another great brightly colored flower that is well suited for borders or potted arrangements, whichever suits your particular summer garden needs. Mimulus is another excellent choice for color in your summer garden and may tolerate partial sun quite well if you're looking for a nice border plant. If you prefer more dramatic coloring in your summer garden you might be interested in including Lobelia or ageratum, which both have beautiful blue hues and provide a lovely backdrop for other colors.

Of course this is only a small sampling of the many bright and beautiful summer flowers that can make a real splash in your summer garden. Be sure to check out the color offerings of each and specific care instructions to make sure that they are a genuine match not only for your personal tastes but also the landscape and terrain of your garden and the other plants that will be included in your summer garden. The planning stage is often the hardest work that many people put into their summer gardens but the pay off for all this proper planning is quite often rich and beautiful - especially when it comes to the flower garden.

How to Plant Your Own Flower Meadow

Spring is so amazing - there's nothing like a blooming field of flowers waving in the wind! Flower meadows are so beautiful. And although you may think of a flower meadow as something that only occurs on wild, untrimmed banks beside the road - not in your own garden - they really aren't too hard to plant yourself, assuming you have some space available. Here are some tips on how to plant a pretty flower meadow of your own.

- (Photo credit: Wikipedia)1. Find out what grows in your area. You will have a much easier time and better (and more sustainable) results if you choose plants that grow well in your local climate. If possible, choose native species.

2. Interestingly, wild flowers (especially native ones) will do best in poor soil that is basically bare. Wildflower meadows work well in areas where you have trouble growing grass. This is good - there will be less competition for the wildflowers.

3. If there is already grass growing on the site, you can still plant wildflowers as long as it is not the dense, manicured sort of grass. If it is, you will need to till the ground first. This is best done in autumn or very early spring.

4. Choose your seeds. If you have checked into finding the proper species in Step 1, this shouldn't be too hard. You can actually collect your own seeds at various times of the year, too. But probably the best advice is to purchase seeds of a wildflower mix. Something to consider is blooming time - plant both spring and summer blooming flowers to have flowers for a longer period.

Also think about what you want to accomplish with the wildflowers. Do you want color? How about attracting wildlife? Do you want to provide flowers for bees or seeds for birds? Once you determine the purpose, that will help you narrow down the seeds.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)Choose perennials that will not need to be replanted each year - unless you want to replant them each year!

5. Scatter the seeds evenly and broadly, covering the whole area in a single layer.

6. Rake the seeds into the soil, or just walk over it. These are wildflowers, after all - in nature, they simply land on the ground and sprout without any help.

7. Scattering the seeds can be done in autumn or spring, depending on the nature of your mix and how much traffic is in the area.

8. Water the area lightly, then wait. You will need to cut back some of the weed growth that first year so that weeds do not take over (weeding the whole area by hand would get tedious). But once the flowers are established, you will not have to do much of anything year after year.