Gardening With Wildflowers Dr. Thomas G. Barnes Department of Forestry

Gardening With WildflowersGardening With Wildflowers

Dr. Thomas G. BarnesDr. Thomas G. Barnes

Department of ForestryDepartment of Forestry

Hottest Rage in Gardening!!Hottest Rage in Gardening!!

Why the Popularity?Why the Popularity?

• KY losing 160 acres of wildland KY losing 160 acres of wildland to development dailyto development daily

• Reconnecting with natureReconnecting with nature

Intrigue & challengeIntrigue & challengeSome are easySome are easy

Some are not so easySome are not so easy

Naturally HardyNaturally Hardy

Interesting & unusualInteresting & unusual

Attract WildlifeAttract Wildlife

• BirdsBirds

• ButterfliesButterflies

But Mostly Just BeautifulBut Mostly Just Beautiful

Gardens Are??Gardens Are??

• A reflection of the gardenerA reflection of the gardener• Sense of our relationship with Sense of our relationship with

naturenature

Rethinking the American Rethinking the American LandscapeLandscape

• Windows intoWindows into

the woodlandsthe woodlands

Rethinking the American Rethinking the American LandscapeLandscape

• Prairie PatchesPrairie Patches

Rethinking the American Rethinking the American LandscapeLandscape

• Wild WatersWild Waters

What is a Wildflower?What is a Wildflower?

• Simple Question without a simple Simple Question without a simple answeranswer

• Paradox – All flowers are wildflowers Paradox – All flowers are wildflowers somewhere in the worldsomewhere in the world

• Tulips- wildflowers in middle eastTulips- wildflowers in middle east

• Trilliums- wildflowers in North AmericaTrilliums- wildflowers in North America

What is a Wildflower?What is a Wildflower?

• Native, herbaceous (non-woody) Native, herbaceous (non-woody) flowering plants excluding grasses & flowering plants excluding grasses & sedgessedges

• Native? Growing here prior to Native? Growing here prior to European arrival in that the species is European arrival in that the species is adapted to various habitats in response adapted to various habitats in response to climatic, geologic, and topographical to climatic, geologic, and topographical variablesvariables

Let’s Take a QuizLet’s Take a Quiz

• Wildflower?Wildflower?

Let’s Take a QuizLet’s Take a Quiz

• Wildflower?Wildflower?

Let’s Take a QuizLet’s Take a Quiz

• Wildflower?Wildflower?

Let’s Take a QuizLet’s Take a Quiz

• Wildflower?Wildflower?

Let’s Take a QuizLet’s Take a Quiz

• Wildflower?Wildflower?

Let’s Take a QuizLet’s Take a Quiz

• Wildflower?Wildflower?

NaturalizedNaturalized

• Escaped cultivationEscaped cultivation• Persist in wild without human Persist in wild without human

interventionintervention• 15% of our flora is exotic15% of our flora is exotic• Some benignSome benign• Others are invasiveOthers are invasive

Invasive ExoticInvasive Exotic

• The Worst of the worstThe Worst of the worst• Threaten natural communitiesThreaten natural communities• Cost millions to controlCost millions to control• 40% of these were introduced by 40% of these were introduced by

horticultural industry horticultural industry • Examples are numerousExamples are numerous• www.exoticpestplantcouncil.org/ky/www.exoticpestplantcouncil.org/ky/

list.htmlist.htm

GardeningGardening• 11stst rule of horticulture rule of horticulture• Know thy plants & theirKnow thy plants & their

ecological requirementsecological requirements

GardeningGardening• Get to know the native Get to know the native

floraflora• When designing When designing

gardens use nature gardens use nature as your guideas your guide

Know Your FloraKnow Your Flora• AggressiveAggressive

Know Your FloraKnow Your Flora• Bloom TimeBloom Time• Plant HeightPlant Height• Bloom ColorBloom Color

There are wildflowers to fit There are wildflowers to fit every gardening situationevery gardening situation

WoodlandWoodland• Shade, filtered light, high organic Shade, filtered light, high organic

matter (no clay)matter (no clay)

WoodlandWoodland• Know your plants --- need to Know your plants --- need to

interplant with ferns -- textureinterplant with ferns -- texture

WoodlandWoodland• Ground coversGround covers

Full Sun Average SoilFull Sun Average Soil

Full Sun, Average Soil

Full Sun, little to no soilFull Sun, little to no soil

Full Sun, wet soilFull Sun, wet soil

Bird FlowersBird Flowers

HummingbirdHummingbirdFlowersFlowers

Butterfly Butterfly FlowersFlowers

GardeningGardening• 11stst rule of horticulture rule of horticulture• Know thy plants & theirKnow thy plants & their

ecological requirementsecological requirements• Is it a perennial? Annual? Is it a perennial? Annual?

Biennial?Biennial?

Ethical GardeningEthical Gardening• Don’t dig (unless it is Don’t dig (unless it is

a salvage)a salvage)• Purchase only nursery Purchase only nursery

PROPAGATED PROPAGATED (not nursery grown)(not nursery grown)

Why?Why?• Impoverishes local floraImpoverishes local flora• Possibility of introducing Possibility of introducing

diseasedisease• Survivability of transplantSurvivability of transplant

Technology is a Technology is a savior!!savior!!

• Tissue CulturedTissue Cultured• Expensive --- Expensive ---

but worth every but worth every pennypenny

Do I use seeds or Do I use seeds or plants?plants?

• Depends – Depends – woodland or shade woodland or shade = plants (because = plants (because most of these do most of these do not spread need to not spread need to plant 6 – 8” apart)plant 6 – 8” apart)

• Prairie or open – Prairie or open – depends on size depends on size and budgetand budget

Guidance on Guidance on using seedsusing seeds

• Do Not Use Do Not Use wildflower in a can, wildflower in a can, mat, generalized mat, generalized mixture from large mixture from large chainschains

• Many exotics, Many exotics, some invasivessome invasives

• More than 80% More than 80% annuals (few annuals (few perennials)perennials)

Guidance on Guidance on using seedsusing seeds

• Purchase from a Purchase from a native plant native plant nurserynursery

• Will need some Will need some native grass in native grass in mixture (structure)mixture (structure)

• Requires Requires specialized specialized knowledgeknowledge

Some Final ThoughtsSome Final Thoughts• Scientific namesScientific names

Some Final ThoughtsSome Final Thoughts• Scientific namesScientific names

Hottest Rage in Gardening!!Hottest Rage in Gardening!!

• Jim Wilson, Victory Garden, “It has Jim Wilson, Victory Garden, “It has mystery, surprise, contradiction, mystery, surprise, contradiction, movement, drama. I could never have movement, drama. I could never have planned it that way, and I rejoice in planned it that way, and I rejoice in its sweetly, chaotic spontaneity.”its sweetly, chaotic spontaneity.”

New in the nursery New in the nursery tradetrade

Books Are AvailableBooks Are Available$30.00$30.00

Last Great Places 30.00Last Great Places 30.00Gardening for the Birds Gardening for the Birds

25.0025.00