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Creating a wildflower meadow is kind of like giving back to nature and our ecology, some of what has been taken away by our destruction of natural habitats for the wildflowers and wildlife. Not only is a wildflower meadow beautiful, but, it provides cover and food for many varieties of mammals and insects. Birds and butterflies are especially attracted to the meadow garden.
It is relatively inexpensive to create a wildflower meadow. For the most part, the expense is in your time spent preparing the selected area chosen for the meadow garden. If you choose to use potted plants, the cost will naturally go up. If you are willing to spend the money, a combination of seed -which is relatively inexpensive- and potted plants are the way to go. Grasses for your meadow can be bought at most any local garden supplier or nursery. By using potted plants you will save some time in establishing you meadow.
Proper soil preparation is essential in achieving a successful wildflower meadow. The soil in the area to be planted -be it a field or a site in your back yard- should be turned and worked well. All weeds should be removed taking as much of the roots as possible. If you are removing sod, you should dig down, three to four inches, to remove as much root as you can. Then, the remaining soil should be amended and turned well. If you have the time to wait, then two weeks later, the soil should be turned again. A few days after that the weed seeds that you tilled up the first time that you turned the soil will have germinated and you can remove them. At this time you can amend the soil using manure, compost, leaf mold or peat moss or any combination and you might need to add some ground limestone. An alternative to getting rid of the weeds or the sod, is to cover the site with a black plastic -anchored down well so the wind don’t blow it away from the site- and leave it there for at least a year. This will kill any weeds or sod and save a lot of work. Please, resist any temptation to use herbicides, as they are bad for the environment and, can prevent some of the wild flowers from growing.
Purchasing potted plants and, seeds for your wildflower meadow is for me, the fun part. These days you can hardly go wrong buying wildflower seeds. There are several seed companies who put out containers of wildflower seeds that are suited for any area; any zone that you live in. There are some plants that you may want to purchase, to get things going in your meadow. Some of these would be grasses, Purple-Coneflower and Black-eyed Susan’s. Of course, you will know better what plants are best suited to your taste and zone. No matter whom you buy your seeds from, find out what is in the mixture before you buy them. Some seed suppliers will use the cheapest mixture of seeds that they can come up with. A reputable supplier will use only top quality seeds mixed for your zone. So, read the back of the container, or, if you buy your seeds in bulk, be sure to ask what is in the mixture.
I spoke of buying grasses, well; you don’t want to buy just any grass. What you want to buy is the bunching or clumping type of grasses. These kinds of grasses will stay put and will not choke out your wildflowers. They will provide support for the wildflowers and in northern areas they will help to insulate the roots of the flowers helping them to survive the harsh winters. Sixty to eighty percent of the meadow should be made up of grasses. This percentage of grasses should be included in the seed mixtures.
When to plant your wildflower meadow varies from zone to zone. Ideally, you would sow wildflower seeds in the fall. Some seeds require the cold to germinate and some even require being frozen prior to germination. Planting can be done at anytime, so here are a few suggestions for your area if you live in the United States.
In the Northwest, you have cool winters and mild summers. If possible, plant spring-flowering wildflowers in early to mid fall and autumn-flowering wildflowers in early spring.
In the Southwest, there is little rain along the coast, where you receive most of your rain in the winter. The more inland you go the better the chance of receiving rain in summer in the form of thunderstorms. In summer temperatures can be near 100¢X, and in winter, Southern California and Southern Arizona stays warm while in the north of these states winter can be quite cold. Planting in late autumn would be your ideal planting prior to the rainy season.
In the Rocky -Mountain region, the majority of your rain comes in winter in the form of snow. With cold winters, hot summers and low humidity, autumn would be your ideal time to plant.
In The Great Plains, from Canada to Southern-Texas, you receive most of your precipitation in winter. Temperatures can range from warm in the extreme south of Texas to extreme cold north. Planting should be done in autumn before the ground freezes. Also, the ground is moist in spring, giving the seed adequate moister for germination.
In the Mid-West, winter is usually wet or snowy and at times summer lends itself to drought. Your winters can be bitter cold and summers quite hot. The best time to plant would be in early spring as soon as the ground can be worked.
In the Northeast, you generally have adequate rain throughout the year. Winters can be quite cold and summers can be mild. The best time here to plant would be in autumn on up to early November.
In the South-East, there is normally plenty rain year around, however in the past few years the southeast has been suffering from drought. Winters are generally quite mild while summers are hot and humid. In this region of the U.S., autumn would be your best time to plant your wildflower meadow.
Maintaining a wildflower meadow is quite simple. You should mow your meadow garden once a year in late fall after everything has gone to seed. This will cut down any tree seedlings and kill them. After the second year, if you are in a safe place to burn then it would be beneficial to burn your wildflower meadow every two to three years. Winter, when everything is dormant would be the best time for burning. Before burning, check, federal, state and local regulations and also remember to use common sense. If it is windy and, or extremely dry do not burn. Check with your local fire department to find out whether or not you need a permit to burn outdoors.
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