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thrive in shady conditions, most
meadows need to be in an area
of full sun. The other
requirement is that the soil
have good drainage. Although it
is generally not recommended
that you fertilize a meadow, if
your soil is heavy clay you might
want to add some organic
matter to improve drainage.
Most wildflowers will care for
themselves once they are
established, but they will have
to be kept moist for the first
few weeks as they germinate
and set down roots, so your
meadow area should be near a
convenient source of water.
Choose a site that is only as
large as you are willing to work
to maintain.
Seed
Wildflower seed can be
purchased from a number of
sources. It is important to use
a reputable company. You can
get a list of suppliers for your
area from the National
Wildflower Research Center,
4801 LaCrosse Avenue,
Austin, Texas 78739.
If you decide to plant selected
species rather than use a
mixture of flowers, pick plants
that are native to your part of
the country. They will grow
better and you won’t risk
introducing a species that can
become invasive and crowd out
native vegetation. Beware of
generic “wildflowers in a can"
because they often contain
undesirable weeds and grasses.
When to plant
Wildflower seed is best sown
about one week before vegetable
gardens are planted in your
area. If you have cold winters,
spring planting after all danger
of killing frost is best. It is also
possible to plant in summer, up
to two months before frost, but
then you must expect to do
more watering.
Gardeners who live in cold
climates might choose to try
“dormant planting." This means
waiting until after killing frosts,
when the ground has cooled
enough to prevent sprouting.
The seed will winter over in its
dormant state and sprout in
the spring, giving you earlier
blossoms.
Those living in warm climates
with light or no frost can plant
almost any time, but the hot
summer months are not
recommended. Generally
speaking, you want to plant
when the soil is warm and rain
will promote germination.
Grasses
A natural meadow includes
grasses as well as wildflowers.
The National Wildflower
Research Center, of which
WindStar is a member,
recommends that native
grasses make up 50 to 80
percent of the meadow seed.
They are beneficial because they
help support and protect tall
wildflowers, crowd out weeds,
and prevent soil erosion.
The grasses will also add color
and texture to your meadow, as
well as provide food and cover
for wildlife. Depending on the
species, their growth form will
be mat- (or sod) forming, or
bunch-forming. Those that form
mats spread by runners –
stems that grow horizontally
along the ground and put down
roots. Bunch grasses form
clumps and usually don’t flower
or set seeds the first year.
Some may only be 2 or 3 inches
tall by the end of the growing
season.
Beneficial native grasses
include buffalograss, big
bluestem, little bluestem,
grama grasses, Indian grass,
and muhly grasses.
Soil preparation
Your soil can be prepared by
hand or by rototilling.
Wildflowers are hardy but not
magic – you can’t just throw
the seeds on the ground and
expect them to perform well.
They have to have contact with
the soil, and a chance to grow
without overwhelming
competition from weeds.
If you use a tiller, go only deep
enough to remove old roots.
Digging deeper just brings more
weed seeds to the surface to
germinate. If tilling isn’t
sufficient, there are other
methods to try. Your choice will
