What short, low flowers can I plant seeds for right now?

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allieninja Pocono Lake, PA(Zone 5b) Aug 04, 2008

Ok, here's what I'm trying to do. We have a bunch of bald patches in our yard that we want to cover with wildflowers. However, we don't want them to be too tall. I would say around 6" would be the highest we would want.

We want to basically throw some seeds on the ground, mix up the dirt a little, and have things that will bloom through late summer and fall.

Is this possible? Does anyone have any recommendations? I would prefer to get a mixed bag, rather than buy individual seed packets. If anyone has any ideas, let them roll! Thanks so much.

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RosemaryA Toronto, ON(Zone 5b) Aug 04, 2008

Annual alyssum (Lobularia maritima) is a short plant that blooms in about 6 weeks from seed. See http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/230/. It has a lovely sweet smell (at least I think it's lovely), requires little care once established (occasionally clip back if it's looking scraggly). It self seeds--the handful of plants I bought last year have given a "free" carpet of volunteers.

I don't know if you would count as a wildflower though. Certainly it is not native to our part of the world. It seems to me that most of the native plant seeds for our area are perennials which don't bloom in the first year, and are also taller than what you seek.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is another small flower, also not native to our corner of the world but at least the same continent. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/659/ I'm not sure how long it takes to grow from seed though--I tried growing it this year and mistakenly weeded out all the seedlings, because I was expecting them to look like the Shirley poppy seedlings (Papaver rhoeas), and they don't at all.

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growgirl59 Saint Louis, MO Aug 05, 2008

I think Rosemary's idea of the alyssum may be the best suggestion. If you purchase a wildflower mix you are bound to get 90% tall plants which you said you want to avoid. I don't think you will have enough time to see much of a show this late in the year if you start with seed. Maybe amending the soil alittle in those areas and planting marigolds in a variety of colors would work. However, you would almost need to start with small plants already in flower so that they can get established quicker and you will have an immediate show. Moss rose would be pretty too, but I wonder if it would reseed and pop up in your grass next year.

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DaleTheGardener Tampa, FL(Zone 10a) Aug 09, 2008

Here is a good place to get seed at a reasonable price> http://www.wildseedfarms.com/ and they sell Alyssum (look for Sweet Alyssum).

The reference site that I use for germination information says alyssum sprouts best at 55-65*. It may be too warm for good results at this point in the growing season. Alyssum will not take freezing weather.

Down here, in the near tropics, alyssum & lobelia are winter annuals.

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