By Christine Reid.
Wildflowers? Who can even think about wildflowers now with summer barely ended and fall weather approaching? Actually, if you want a yard full of wildflowers in the spring, you need to do more than just think about it. Mild October weather is perfect for sowing wildflower seeds; with patience and a little preparation, you can have a patch of vibrant wildflowers next year that might become the must-see spot of your neighborhood!
In a recent talk to a gathering of Hays County Master Gardeners, John R. Thomas, the founder of Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg, said that in the spring, “Texas has the largest color show on earth.” In the 30 years that he’s been growing wildflowers of all colors, shapes and sizes, Thomas has learned several useful tips to help people enjoy wildflowers in their own backyards.
There are many different varieties of wildflowers to grow in your garden. They can be annual (live one year), such as Indian blanket and Drummond Phlox; biennial (have a two-year life cycle), such as Foxglove and Wallflower; and perennial (after blooming, they die back and later grow back from the same root system), like Purple Coneflower and Blanketflower. Geographic and climate differences can blur the line between annual, perennial and biennial wildflowers, allowing an annual, for instance, to behave as a perennial in some spots. Waiting two weeks after the full bloom period has passed before mowing will allow the seeds to fall to the ground, allowing many annuals to grow and bloom the next spring, like the Texas Bluebonnet.
Texas Bluebonnets are considered site-specific and so can be tricky to grow. As they cannot tolerate boggy soil, the seeds should be sown in light to gravelly, well-drained soil and, if possible, on slopes and hillsides. They also like slightly alkaline soils. Texas Bluebonnets have such hard seed coats that they can take years to germinate in nature. Thomas talked about moving a wooden structure that had been in place for more than 100 years and then seeing bluebonnets popping up later in the uncovered spot where they’d been lying dormant. Their hard seed coat is nature’s insurance against all the seeds germinating at one time. Commercially packaged bluebonnet seeds are often scarified (nicked seed coat) for easier germination.
When you’re ready to sow, pick an area that gets six to eight hours of full sun and has good drainage, since most wildflowers like dry feet. Prepare the ground by mowing the grasses down; if you can see dirt, that’s fine. Loosen up to one inch of soil so that the seeds can take hold. Digging deeper than an inch can release dormant weed seeds in the growing area.
Because many of the seeds are very fine, some people prefer to mix them with masonry sand, perlite or potting soil to help spread the material evenly; Wildseed Farms suggests using 4 parts inert material to one part seed. Recommended seeding rates start at ¼ pound of seed per 500 square feet. Using the ‘feed the chickens’ method, broadcast half the seed mixture east to west and the second half north to south. You want good seed to soil contact, so walk or roll something over the newly planted area. One common mistake is to plant seeds by covering them with soil. They should be surface sown and then pressed in, as described. For best results, keep the area moist for four to six weeks. If it’s a very large area and there haven’t been any fall rains after sowing the seeds, water one section at a time, keeping the soil wet to the touch for a week. “Once you get the seeds germinated,” Thomas said, “You’re 90 percent there.”
After the seedlings are one to two inches in height, watering can be reduced and only increased if plants are showing signs of distress. The plants will come up quickly, build their root system and then hug the ground for a while. Unless the soil is extremely poor, don’t fertilize, as it encourages the growth of weeds.
The ideal recipe for a great wildflower display, according to Thomas, is having a hot, dry summer, a rainy fall and a cool, wet winter. Besides less than ideal weather, other obstacles to optimal wildflower production are cool season grasses, such as winter rye and fescues. They shade them out, he said, so don’t plant them with wildflowers. As for warm season grasses growing where there are also emerging flowers, Thomas explained that you can mow them in the fall since the wildflowers are still small and low to the ground.
With a little effort, you can get a wildflower garden established and each year it’ll give you a changing display that will charm and enchant all who see it. Starting in March, the white-tipped blue spikes of the Texas Bluebonnets begin to bloom next to the soft reds of Indian paintbrush and then gradually the view changes to swaying Scarlet sages, purplish Wine cups and more. As the different wildflowers bloom in turn, each batch gets taller and taller. “They’re competing for sunlight,” Thomas noted, and our attention, too!
Have questions? Call (512) 398-6011 or email [email protected].
Popular Wildflowers
Black-Eyed Susan – Annual and Perennial
Blooms June to August
Thrives in most soils in full sun
Blanketflower – Perennial
Blooms May to September
Grows well in full sun in well-drained areas
Butterfly Weed – Perennial
Blooms June to September
Requires a well-drained soil in full
Drummond Phlox – Annual
Blooms April to June
Prefers well-drained soil in full sun
Gayfeather – Perennial
Blooms August to December
Requires well-drained soils in full sun
Indian Blanket – Annual
Blooms May to September
Thrives in heat and full sun with well-drained soil
Lemon Mint – Annual and Perennial
Blooms May to August
Can tolerate dry conditions and prefers full sun
Mexican Hat – Annual and Perennial
Blooms June to September
Prefers full sun in well-drained soil
Showy Primrose – Perennial
Blooms March to July
Grows in various soils in full sun
Standing Cypress – Perennial
Blooms June to August
Requires very dry, well-drained soil
Texas Bluebonnet – Annual
Blooms March to May
Requires full sun in well-drained areas
Texas Paintbrush – Annual, Perennial, Biennial
Blooms April to June
Adapted to well-drained areas in full sun
Wine Cup – Perennial
Blooms from February to July
Prefers full sun in sandy soil
Yarrow – Perennial
Blooms May to November
Requires full sun; can handle poor soil
