Page 1 A Plant's Home© WindStar Wildlife Institute

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Creating aWildflower

Meadow

Butterflies and hummingbirds will “beat a path"

to your wildflower meadow and you willhave the pleasure of experiencing a constant

changing of colors from week to week,

too beautiful to adequately describe.

If you are looking for a familynature project that is fun

and rewarding, considerturning part of your yard intoa wildflower meadow.

A wildflower meadow is likean endless string of birthdaypresents. Each day you will findan unexpected blossom toadmire, or a new bird orbutterfly to watch. A meadowwill promote a feeling of calmas well as discovery, providelots of flowers for cutting andmaterials for nature crafts,plus support wildlife with foodand shelter.

While several acres ofwildflowers are undoubtedlylovely, a small “pocket meadow"in the backyard can also bringyou months of pleasure. Awildflower meadow should looknatural. It can providecontrast to a green lawn orformal flower beds.

Although you will tend it bycontrolling invasive weeds, theoverall effect will not be asgroomed as a traditionalgarden or lawn, so you maywant to discuss your planswith your neighbors and getthem excited about theconcept of meadows.

You should also check on anylocal regulations that wouldprohibit an unmowed area. To“dress up" your meadow andmake it look more tended,consider adding pathways, afence, and maybe even a benchor two.

Getting StartedFirst, you must decide where

to put your meadow. Althoughthere are wildflowers that

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thrive in shady conditions, mostmeadows need to be in an areaof full sun. The otherrequirement is that the soilhave good drainage. Although itis generally not recommendedthat you fertilize a meadow, ifyour soil is heavy clay you mightwant to add some organicmatter to improve drainage.

Most wildflowers will care forthemselves once they areestablished, but they will haveto be kept moist for the firstfew weeks as they germinateand set down roots, so yourmeadow area should be near aconvenient source of water.Choose a site that is only aslarge as you are willing to workto maintain.

SeedWildflower seed can be

purchased from a number ofsources. It is important to usea reputable company. You canget a list of suppliers for yourarea from the NationalWildflower Research Center,4801 LaCrosse Avenue,Austin, Texas 78739.

If you decide to plant selectedspecies rather than use amixture of flowers, pick plantsthat are native to your part ofthe country. They will growbetter and you won’t riskintroducing a species that canbecome invasive and crowd outnative vegetation. Beware ofgeneric “wildflowers in a can"because they often containundesirable weeds and grasses.

When to plantWildflower seed is best sown

about one week before vegetable

gardens are planted in yourarea. If you have cold winters,spring planting after all dangerof killing frost is best. It is alsopossible to plant in summer, upto two months before frost, butthen you must expect to domore watering.

Gardeners who live in coldclimates might choose to try“dormant planting." This meanswaiting until after killing frosts,when the ground has cooledenough to prevent sprouting.The seed will winter over in itsdormant state and sprout inthe spring, giving you earlierblossoms.

Those living in warm climateswith light or no frost can plantalmost any time, but the hotsummer months are notrecommended. Generallyspeaking, you want to plantwhen the soil is warm and rainwill promote germination.

GrassesA natural meadow includes

grasses as well as wildflowers.The National WildflowerResearch Center, of which

WindStar is a member,recommends that nativegrasses make up 50 to 80percent of the meadow seed.They are beneficial because theyhelp support and protect tallwildflowers, crowd out weeds,and prevent soil erosion.

The grasses will also add colorand texture to your meadow, aswell as provide food and coverfor wildlife. Depending on thespecies, their growth form willbe mat- (or sod) forming, orbunch-forming. Those that formmats spread by runners –stems that grow horizontallyalong the ground and put downroots. Bunch grasses formclumps and usually don’t floweror set seeds the first year.Some may only be 2 or 3 inchestall by the end of the growingseason.

Beneficial native grassesinclude buffalograss, bigbluestem, little bluestem,grama grasses, Indian grass,and muhly grasses.

Soil preparationYour soil can be prepared by

hand or by rototilling.Wildflowers are hardy but notmagic – you can’t just throwthe seeds on the ground andexpect them to perform well.They have to have contact withthe soil, and a chance to growwithout overwhelmingcompetition from weeds.

If you use a tiller, go only deepenough to remove old roots.Digging deeper just brings moreweed seeds to the surface togerminate. If tilling isn’tsufficient, there are othermethods to try. Your choice will

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depend upon your time, budget,the size of your site, andattitude towards herbicides.

Method One involves earlysite preparation three weeksprior to sowing. Tilling isfollowed by repeated cultivationduring that time period, thuseliminating the early annualweeds.

Method Two starts six weeksahead of sowing. During thefirst three weeks after tilling,weeds are allowed to grow (evenencouraged with watering) andthen they are treated with aherbicide such as Roundup. Theweeds will die during the nextthree weeks and can be rakedaway. This also gives thechemicals time to wash out ofthe soil. This method is good ifyou have persistent perennialweeds to remove.

Method Three takes moreplanning, but requires nochemicals. Till in the latesummer or early fall of the yearbefore you want to plant. Thesoil can be left fallow, or you canplant a cover crop such asbuckwheat or annual rye grass.This will hold the soil in place,add beneficial organic matter tothe site, and help to crowd outgerminating weeds. In the spring,lightly cultivate to loosen thesoil and turn under the covercrop just before planting.

SowingOnce your ground is bare and

loosened and you are ready tosow, there are some tricks thatwill make the process easier andmore successful. Choose anearly windless day, andseparate the seed into roughly

two equal parts. Put the firsthalf in a container and addabout 10 parts of light sand orvermiculite.

This will help you to spreadthe seed evenly, and also makeit easy to see where you’vealready been. Sow this half overthe whole area to be seeded,either by hand or using a hand-crank cyclone seeder.

You may want to sow up to 2or 3 times the supplier’srecommended minimum rates,but don’t go higher than thatbecause it will inhibit goodgrowth.

Mix the second half of yourseed in the same way, andspread it over the whole areaalso, making sure that you hitany bare spots that weremissed the first time. Don’trake or cover the seed with soil.Instead, press it into theground using a lawn roller orpiece of plywood that you walkon.

If compressing isn’t possible,it is better to do nothing thanto rake or cover the seed.

GerminationAll seeds, even wildflowers,

need moisture and warmth togerminate. Some will sprout in aweek, while others take months.Most mixes will include bothannual and perennial flowers.The annuals germinate quicklyand grow fast. They bloom earlyand heavily, set seed, and arekilled by frost. They may reseed,but you will probably want toadd more seed every couple ofyears to insure a goodperformance.

Perennials come back everyyear from the same roots. Theygrow more slowly and may notflower until the second year.They get larger and strongereach year, forming clumps thatmay die back in winter butreturn the next spring. A thirdtype of plant, biennials, formleaves the first year, bloom thesecond, and are killed by frostafter blooming. They aregenerally considered perennialperformers, however, because oftheir heavy seed production.

MaintenanceFertilizer is not recommended.

Wildflowers grow best in soilswith low fertility, where nitrogenlevels are low. Using fertilizer willalso promote weed growth.Water to get the meadowestablished, and then only intimes of stress. Overwateringyields more leaves and fewerflowers.

You might have to pull upsome weeds or shrubs thatintrude on your meadow, butoften it is easiest to just letthem go and become part ofyour natural landscape. Once ayear, at the end of the growing

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season and after seeds haveformed, you should mow theentire area with the mower onits highest setting (6-8inches).

This will keep tree and brushseedlings under control, anddestroy the seed crop ofannual weeds. Wait until atleast half of the late-bloomingwildflowers have had time todrop seeds. If your meadowincludes tall, warm-seasonnative grasses, wait until latesummer or early fall to mow.Leaving seed heads in placethrough the winter addsinterest to the meadow andprovides food for the birds.After mowing, leave theclippings in place, unless themeadow is in a moist area, inwhich case the clippings needto be removed.

What to ExpectThe First Year will be

dominated by the annualsthat germinate quickly. Theseare bright and showy, with thebest display in mid- to latesummer. Although they willreseed a certain amount, tomaintain the color level youshould plan to reseed annualsevery two or three years.

While many perennials willalso germinate the first year,their root growth comprisestwo or three times the amountof the above-groundvegetation, and they normallydon’t flower until the secondor third year.

The Second Year will see thenative bunch grasses flowerand produce seeds, assumingthat there has been well-spaced and abundant rainfall.Some biennial and perennialwildflowers will begin to bloom.If weather conditions weren’toptimal the first year, residualseeds from that planting maygerminate.

As the meadow fills out, youmay want to re-seed ortransplant species to fill inbare spots or increasediversity. If annual weeds are aproblem, remove them beforethey set seed.

The Third Year and Beyondmay see enough growth thatyou might consider a“controlled burn." Fire is anatural process in manyecosystems and can reducethe woody plants and otherinvasive species. Burning alsostimulates the growth ofmany native grasses andprairie perennials, and breaksthe dormancy of some seeds.However, burning is a techniquethat requires special expertiseand should not be attemptedwithout first consultingexperienced experts.

Since fire affects all thespecies in the meadow, be sureof your goal before using it asa tool. Many areas requirepermits for burning, or mayprohibit it completely, so check

This article was written byThomas D. Patrick, President,WindStar Wildlife Institute.It was edited by MarylandMaster Wildlife Habitat

Naturalist Cathy Gilleland.

For more information or for thename of a Master Wildlife

Habitat Naturalist in your area,please contact:

WindStar Wildlife Institute

E-mail: wildlife@windstar.orghttp://www.windstar.org

WindStar Wildlife Instituteis a national, non-profit,

conservation organization whosemission is to help individuals

and families establish orimprove the wildlife habitat on

their properties.

local regulations. If you choosenot to burn, you can continueto control weeds by mowing orspot-treating with herbicides.

Although a wildflowermeadow is not maintenance-free and requires someadvance preparation, once it isestablished it is less labor-intensive and costs less tomaintain than a traditionallawn. In addition, it will provideyou and your neighbors with anever-changing display of colorand texture, while at the sametime offer food and shelter tosome of the wildlife displacedby development.

Your meadow may inspireothers to follow your lead,perhaps even as communityefforts at schools or alongroadways. A wildflower meadowis a treasure in every season,so why not start right now tomake your plans for a beautifulfuture.

"If it is true, asEmerson suggested,

that the earth laughs

in flowers, then ameadow is the earth

laughing right out

loud."—Laura Martin

The Wildflower Meadow Book