Gardeners may sometimes undertake the challenge to grow a wild flower garden instead of a normal garden.
Wild flowers are sturdy plants and require less maintenance, so one can decide to grow a wildflower garden instead of a well-manicured summer garden.
The first step towards this endeavor would be to select the right spot in the yard.
Somewhere along the back of the yard would be an ideal spot rather than near the patio to give that natural appearance to the garden.
However, the place should have good drainage, though the soil quality does not really matter.
Wild flowers are tough and sturdy plants, accustomed to existing in tough climatic conditions and unfriendly terrain.
Therefore, they will thrive in a sunny area with minimal watering and basic quality of soil.
Once the location is selected, the area needs to be prepared for planting.
The soil needs to be turned by digging up the area; all weeds, rocks and old roots need to be cleared.
The soil can be raked up and flattened.
Some perennial flower fertilizer that is low in nitrogen may be added to speed up the growth process, although wild flowers do not need any manure.
The wild flower seeds can be procured from the local nursery or they can be ordered from online catalogs.
Wildflower seed packets will typically contain a mixture of a variety of plants like annuals, perennials and biennials.
The package will have a coverage rate printed on it to give an idea of the quantity of seed to sow in a particular area.
It is recommended to sow two or three times the minimum coverage rate to get a healthy bloom, although care should be taken to see that the seeds have sufficient space to grow.
At the time of sowing the seed, the packet can be divided into two equal parts and each part mixed with about ten parts of sand or vermiculite.
Take one-half of the sand-seed mix and hand sow the area as evenly as possible.
Repeat the process over the same area with the other half so that there are no bare spots.
The seeds can be compressed into the soil with the help of a lawn roller or by simply walking over the area.
The growth of the seeds depends on the environmental conditions of the area.
If the plants are not getting enough water by way of rainfall, it may be necessary to water them as and when required.
Wild flowers do require some maintenance occasionally.
Weeding should be done often enough to prevent weeds from overgrowing the wild flowers.
Areas that appear too grassy or too crowded with plants need to be attended to.
The spot can be dug up, cleared of weeds or grass and then reseeded.
Some of the annual wild flower plants include cornflower, red poppy, annual baby's breath and cosmos; common perennials are daisies, purple coneflower, dame's rocket and lance-leaf coreopsis.
Seed mix purchased from the nursery will contain annuals and perennials.
Since annuals die after each growing season, it is a good practice to reseed the garden every year to retain the species of wildflower.
Another option would be to make your own seed mix by using seeds of flowering plants that are suited to your geographical area.
As soon as the wildflower garden begins to grow, it can be landscaped by putting a small stone pathway around the area or by putting a bench or a fountain.
The addition of bird feeders or birdbaths will attract birds to the garden.
Bird watching in your own wildflower garden can be a very enjoyable hobby.
Wild flowers are sturdy plants and require less maintenance, so one can decide to grow a wildflower garden instead of a well-manicured summer garden.
The first step towards this endeavor would be to select the right spot in the yard.
Somewhere along the back of the yard would be an ideal spot rather than near the patio to give that natural appearance to the garden.
However, the place should have good drainage, though the soil quality does not really matter.
Wild flowers are tough and sturdy plants, accustomed to existing in tough climatic conditions and unfriendly terrain.
Therefore, they will thrive in a sunny area with minimal watering and basic quality of soil.
Once the location is selected, the area needs to be prepared for planting.
The soil needs to be turned by digging up the area; all weeds, rocks and old roots need to be cleared.
The soil can be raked up and flattened.
Some perennial flower fertilizer that is low in nitrogen may be added to speed up the growth process, although wild flowers do not need any manure.
The wild flower seeds can be procured from the local nursery or they can be ordered from online catalogs.
Wildflower seed packets will typically contain a mixture of a variety of plants like annuals, perennials and biennials.
The package will have a coverage rate printed on it to give an idea of the quantity of seed to sow in a particular area.
It is recommended to sow two or three times the minimum coverage rate to get a healthy bloom, although care should be taken to see that the seeds have sufficient space to grow.
At the time of sowing the seed, the packet can be divided into two equal parts and each part mixed with about ten parts of sand or vermiculite.
Take one-half of the sand-seed mix and hand sow the area as evenly as possible.
Repeat the process over the same area with the other half so that there are no bare spots.
The seeds can be compressed into the soil with the help of a lawn roller or by simply walking over the area.
The growth of the seeds depends on the environmental conditions of the area.
If the plants are not getting enough water by way of rainfall, it may be necessary to water them as and when required.
Wild flowers do require some maintenance occasionally.
Weeding should be done often enough to prevent weeds from overgrowing the wild flowers.
Areas that appear too grassy or too crowded with plants need to be attended to.
The spot can be dug up, cleared of weeds or grass and then reseeded.
Some of the annual wild flower plants include cornflower, red poppy, annual baby's breath and cosmos; common perennials are daisies, purple coneflower, dame's rocket and lance-leaf coreopsis.
Seed mix purchased from the nursery will contain annuals and perennials.
Since annuals die after each growing season, it is a good practice to reseed the garden every year to retain the species of wildflower.
Another option would be to make your own seed mix by using seeds of flowering plants that are suited to your geographical area.
As soon as the wildflower garden begins to grow, it can be landscaped by putting a small stone pathway around the area or by putting a bench or a fountain.
The addition of bird feeders or birdbaths will attract birds to the garden.
Bird watching in your own wildflower garden can be a very enjoyable hobby.
Source...