Wildflowers attract pollinator insects and birds and provide a habitat for predatory insects and animals. They also require little water and maintenance. I’m putting them in a corner of the garden that can really go wild. Some wildflowers will get very large, like sunflowers, so give them plenty of space. Having wild areas near your garden will ensure a healthy ecosystem that requires less pesticides.
Wildflower seeds are best to plant in late fall because some of them need a period of cold before they will sprout. Put them in a sunny location. Remove grass or build a hugelkultur or lasagna bed. Spread the seeds on or just below the surface, some need light to sprout. You can broadcast the seeds, but don’t plant them too close together. Remember, each plant will need at least a square foot of space. Add a thin layer of straw mulch on top to protect the soil through the winter.
When they come up in the spring, thin them to one plant per square foot. Give them regular water while they are small but don’t over-water in the summer or they will grow too large. Watering once a week is plenty. They don’t need much nitrogen either, a little bit of compost sprinkled on the surface once a year is enough.
Let the flowers fully mature and drop their seeds so they will grow back naturally the next spring. Do not remove the plants in the winter. Leave the stalks and seed heads to feed birds and provide a habitat for overwintering insects and animals. Cut off the dead stalks and lay them on the ground as mulch when the new foliage emerges.
You can pull grass and bindweed to keep it from taking over, but aggressive weeding isn’t necessary. Most “weeds” are wildflowers too. Remember, this is a WILDflower garden let it be wild!
Links to More Information
Great Pollinator Plants for Oklahoma https://www.gardenia.net/guide/great-pollinator-plants-for-oklahoma
Fall is for Planting Wildflower Seeds https://www.americanmeadows.com/fall-planting-wildflower-seeds
