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Wild Natural
Prairie Gardens
Geraniums, roses, and zinnias
frequently inhabit today’s gardens, but wildflowers can supply an elegant and
simple style. Just about any landscape or garden can be made beautiful with the
addition of wildflowers. Not only are wildflowers effortless to grow but they
also have a natural resistance to harsh climates, insects, and disease. They can
live in nutrient poor soil, sandy soil, and clay soil. Once they are growing in
their ideal locale, wildflowers can live on their own without weeding, primping,
or pruning.The simplest
way to produce and raise your own wildflower garden is to plant seeds on prepped
soil where they will not be competing with grasses and weeds. Follow the simple
instructions below.
1. Plant
wildflower seeds in the fall or spring, depending on the typed of wildflowers
and where you are located. Wildflowers normally germinate when the soil
temperature gets to 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are located in zones 1-6
sow seeds in the spring and if you are located in zones, 7-11 sow seeds in the
fall. Follow the directions on the seed package.
2. Select a well-drained
sunny gardening location. The majority of wildflowers should get a minimum of
five to eight hours of sun each day.
3. Get the ground ready by
getting rid of any weeds or vegetation that exist.
4. Sow the seeds. Prior to
spreading the seeds, mix them in a pail with sand. Combine one part seed to four
parts sand. This will aid in getting an even coverage of seeds. Apply the seeds
in a wide sweeping motion by hand or with a hand held broadcast seeder.
5. If you plant your seeds to
deeply they may not germinate. To make sure that the seeds make good contact
with the soil walk on the seedbed or pat it down with head of a garden rake.
6. In order for
wildflower seeds to germinate, they need water. Keep watering them regularly
until the plants are one to two inches in height. Afterwards only water your
wildflowers if they appear to be drooping.
7. If weeds appear in the
wildflower garden, dig them out immediately or they flower and spread. When your
wildflowers grow, and become dense, they will in time choke out the majority of
weeds.
The varieties of wildflowers
you can grow depend on the makeup of your garden and area in which you live.
Typically, it is easier to grow wildflowers that grow locally. They are already
accustomed to the growing conditions and climate. Nevertheless, there are
wildflowers that will thrive in almost any garden or area of the country. A
couple of the more common wildflowers that grow in North America are, California
Poppy, Indian Paintbrush, Goldenrod, Black-eyed Susan, Autumn Sage, Butterfly
Weed, Texas Bluebonnets, Winecup, and Sunflower.
Wildflower plants and seeds
may be obtained by mail order, over the Internet, or from a local nursery.
Usually wildflower seed blends include seeds of both perennial and annual. They
do this, because annuals develop quickly and cover the ground, at the same time
the perennials are establishing themselves.
It is more economical to grow
wildflowers from seed than buying fully grown wildflowers. On the other hand,
one of the disadvantages of sowing wildflowers from seeds is that a lot of
regional plants require a longer time to germinate and grow. Additionally, the
seeds of some varieties need a pretreatment before you plant them. This
procedure entails stratification, meaning that you have to put the seeds in
refrigerated storage growing medium that does not contain soil for a minimum of
one to two months and at times even longer. As a result, if you are not skilled
at growing wildflowers from seed, you would be best off to begin your garden by
buying a couple of mature wildflower from a nursery.
Whether you are planting
wildflowers in your existing garden or making a little garden, it is enjoyable
to try out different plants, and seeds. This is the best way to learn which
wildflowers adapt to your garden.
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