Ok, I'm actually 20 miles or so south of Houston along I-45. Anyway, I've been inticed by the idea of growing wildflowers, but the problem is that I really don't know what I'm doing. I was kinda hoping all I would need to do is dig up an area of sod in my backyard, till the soil to losen it up a bit, broadcast the seeds, press them into the soil and then water. Is this too simplisitc? Do I really need a raised bed, if so how tall?
I was planning on getting my seeds from www.wildseedfarms.com (I was actually researching nematodes one day and got side-tracked by this link, that's how I got this idea.) They sell this really great-looking butterfly/ hummingbird mix that would be a nice addition to my backyard if I can make it work.
Anyway, any guidance would be great!!! Also, I apologize in advance if there is a better or more appropriate forum for this question. I'm still new to the site and may have overlooked something.
Growing wildflowers in the Houston area
We had looked into seeding 5 acres and had an e-mail correspondence with Wild Seed Farms a few years back. In the the end the prep and seed cost stopped us from going through with it. I remember them saying that the most important thing was to remove any and all competing grass and weeds. If you are considering a large area, look into purchasing seed by individual species rather than a mix (cheeper that way). Their seed mix is sort of a 'one size fits all' mix, that doesn't. What grows in South Texas may not not in the East. It had been suggested from them that I purchase the mix and then see which species took off and then ordered those in bulk.
Since we never went through with it, that's all the advice I have. I'm sure others will be of more help.Welcome to Dg and good luck:0) Can't wait to see pics!
I agree with cocoa_lulu about buying individual species rather than a mix. Most mixes have a large amount of cheaper filler seeds. This is the perfect book to use as a reference guide.
http://www.amazon.com/Wildflowers-Houston-Southeast-Texas-Tveten/dp/0292781512
I bought it about two years ago and love it. While it doesn't tell you how to grow them, the information provided will help you decide which seeds to purchase. I believe WildSeed Farms sells a video on how to prepare the soil, but basically it involves removing competing vegetation. and loosening the soil where the seed will be planted. If you have "black jumbo" soil, it is probably nutrient deficient. You may want to incorporate some compost into the soil.
I like Native American Seed for ordering wildflower seed and if you look under Planting Tips in the menu at the top of the site, it has some valuable info on how to grow them. I've also learned a lot from the people and speakers at a couple of chapters of the Native Plant Society.
http://www.seedsource.com/
If one of the wildflower seeds that is recommended to grow in your area is Echinacea purpurea known as the common purple coneflower, please contact me. I have harvested a portion of it this summer and will gladly share. I find your project admirable and wish you the best. Glad to see you joining in on the TX Gardening forum... welcome! pod
Hello John, I have a wildflower area 10x80 feet that we started 10 years ago.
It was all in grass and all we did was mow it very short, rake and spread the seed.
We didn't get much the first year, but we kept adding seeds and plants and now it is solid plants with no grass, it gradually disappeared as as the plants covered the ground.
It is hard to photograph but this is what it looked like last fall.
Josephine.
How gorgeous is that! That is inspiring ~ very nice.
Thank you Podster, it is my pride and joy. I love native plants.
Frostweed - that is so beautiful and such a great motivation. I'll bet you see so many bees and other pollinators at your wildflower garden! I'm planning a new area of my garden like this and will be thrilled to see it grow like yours over the coming years.
Excellent Bookworm! Wildflowers and native plants are such fun to work with, I hope yours will do great. I suppose you finished your Master Naturalist classes and are now certified?
Josephine.
John, I have purple coneflower/echinacea seeds as well, also some cosmos which should grow very well, and am planning on harvesting some black-eyed susan seeds soon. Dmail me if you want some. I agree about not using a mix. I believe Organic Gardening magazine had an article about how to establish a meadow in the last issue or so. I'm HOPING to convert the side of a ditch into a sort of meadow so I won't have to mow it ever ever again -- starting with pampas grass and sowing the above seeds in front of it.
Cocoa_lulu/ Bettydee- thanks for the advice about buying indiviual seeds vs. the pre-mix. That's something for me to think about.
LindaTX8- thanks for the link. I also was not aware of the Native Plant Society.
frostweed- Wow...if I can get my plot to look anything remotely like yours, I'll be very pleased.
Pod/ brigidlily- Thanks for the offers! I very well may take you guys up on that, but I still need to clear some area and time seems to be running short. We'll see. It's mostly my schedule that is constraining my "fun time" out in the yard :( Now, we have Gustav to keep an eye on as well! It's probably a good thing I did not build that grand raised-bed garden that I was thinking about building a few months ago- the storm would surely strike then!
Thanks again everyone!!! I'll have to take advantage of the blogging capabilities on this site and document all of my exploits. I'll post a message here whenever I get that going.
Just FYI, I read something recently (I read a lot and forget where I read things) that the best way to get WFs going is to drop seeds in the late summer and early fall, as the flowers do. That's pretty much my plan for the meadow. There's still plenty of time for that, though. You don't need to wait until spring to plant them.
Josephine - thanks for asking about my TX Master Naturalist involvement! I will complete all the requirements soon and graduate on September 20th. I've learned so much, and enjoyed the volunteering just as much as the classes.
My most satisfying volunteer activity was digging native prairie plants from a plot of land on the Katy prairie to be rescued and replanted in two different locations. The land will soon be paved under, sadly. The Houston Audubon society worked with the current owner and there have been two rescues one in July and one in August. Volunteers were encouraged to also dig some plants for ourselves and that's what I've used for a new native garden in my back flower beds.
There's one last rescue on Sept. 6 - volunteers will be digging for rescue starting at 6:30 am! I have further info if anyone is interested in participating.
That is wonderful, it is so much fun working with native plants, it gives you a great feeling of satisfaction just knowing that you are helping to preserve them.
Josephine.
It is a wonderful feeling - you are right. The grasses and wildflowers have been transplanted both in the Katy Prairie Conservancy preserve and next to Braes Bayou in southwest Houston. The bayou area will be one of several "pocket prairies" being planted with these saved plants. Hundreds of people walk, jog and bike past this area and the Audubon hopes it will generate lots of interest.
The beautiful native guara, a little yellow daisy (I'm going to the native plant "yellow" plants list next to ID it!), beautiful purple liatris, and some gulf muhly grass came home to my own new little "prairie."! They say the dirt itself is alive with seeds, and new surprises are in store in the coming months.
Here's a pic that I wanted to share of my project. This isn't *exactly* the area I am working on, but it is a great substitute because it is perpendicular to the area that I am clearing and it looks just the same. Just mentally "pivot" off of the the crape on the right (which is really the center crape.) This is essentially a substitute "before" pic.
Looks perfect for a meadow!
It looks great to me too, just be sure that you cut that grass really close and rake, before putting down the seed.
After lots of work, I finally cleared the area of the shrubs and a 20' section of wood fence (which believe it or not was present behind the shrubs just like in the first pic above), but there is still plenty of stuff to clear and haul off in this older pic. I would estimate this pic to be from Sat, July 26, 2008. It looks a lot better now- more to come later on my blog.
This has been hard but rewarding work. I like to start early on Saturday morning around 8 or 9 am and work till 11am or noon. A nice shower and good lunch come right after quitting time, followed by a 2-hour "siesta" during the hot hours of the day. I tell you truly, nothing feels better than taking a nap in the afternoon after you've been busting your tail out in the heat all morning.
Hopefully I can convert this into my personal wildflower meadow.
Brigidlily- I had the same idea. You and I seem to be working on similar projects! Good luck on yours.
Hard work is great therapy, especially if it is doing something you love, keep it up, you will receive great rewards.
Thanks frostweed, will do.
I am currently at the hospital with my wife and brand new baby boy. I am taking this time to blog as my friends and relatives visit! Luckily, I had my yard pics on the camera that I brought with me and I have my laptop and the necessary cable to transfer images from the camera. What a great way to pass the time when I can't hold the baby!
One more pic for perspective. The first pic I posted today was a close-up of the shrubs you see here on the left. These shrubs have since been, how shall we say, eliminated?
Congratulations on the birth of your baby boy John, is this your first child?
YAY!!! My daughter just had a new baby girl June 30 (7 weeks early but doing fine now) and there's nothing like it. Congratulations! (We can get together on the wedding contract later...) ;}
bookworm,,
I am really interested in talking to you about your volunteer work with the native plant league. I have just retired (today was my first official day, yeah!) and I am wanting to find something useful to do with my love for plants and gardening.
Bonnie
I am also interested in the wildflower meadow project. My daughter and her DH live on 5 acres and have an area next to their pond that would be a perfect location. Guess I should run the idea by her first! :o)
If we could just mow by the pond, rake and then keep throwing in seeds that would be great. I am wondering after things start growing do you just let it be or does it need to be mowed down sometime during the year to tidy it up and help keep things going?
Bonnie
I cut all my plants down by hand in the Fall, and during the growing season I take out whichever plants are finished, or need tidying up.
Josephine.
Hi Bonnie,
Have you considered becoming a Master Gardener? They will have sign ups toward the middle of the month at the Montgomery Co. Extension Office.
http://www.montgomerycountymastergardeners.org/
Annette
frostweed- no, this is not my 1st child. We were blessed with a beautiful daughter 22 months ago.
This is our 3rd night in the hospital and I cannot *wait* to get home!!!! This is maddening!
Bonnie - I am just now finishing the TX Master Naturalist course in Montgomery County, which is similar to Master Gardener that Annette linked. I chose the master naturalist course first - I hope to do the MG class someday as well - because I love all things nature - birding, native plants, gardening, wildlife, prairies and forests, etc. Master Naturalists volunteer a lot of different places - Saturday I spent the morning rescuing prairie plants and seeds once again for Houston Audubon and Katy Prairie Conservancy. They are transplanting plants and seeds to other safe locations and encouraged volunteers to take as much as they wanted to spread these heirloom seeds as many places as possible.
I now have quite a few packets of liatris and unidentified other seeds that I'd be happy to share with those of you starting or maintaining wildflower gardens. Just dmail me and I'll get the details from you. I've planted a corner of my back yard with these plants and seeds, and envy those of you with so much space!
And Bonnie - congrats on your retirement! I retired a little over a year ago, and have loved every minute of extra time I now have.