Update to Planting Wildflower Seeds

The wildflower seeds are finally planted and growing! The actual “planting” of the wildflowers was easy. Preparing 3 acres of land was a little more tricky. You may have read last year that we paid someone to disc plow the land. Unfortunately, the timing was bad and by the time we were ready to plant the wildflower seeds, the grass and weeds had grown back. The ground was also very uneven which made it difficult for us to mow with the tractor.

Fortunately, we have an amazing neighbor who recently repaired his disc plow and offered to plow it again for trade. He planted bermudagrass and will bale it in the fall for hay. We also agreed to freeze-dry any of his excess garden harvests. I feel like we got a great deal because we get to enjoy the beauty of the wildflowers, and we never have to mow those 3 acres!!!

In Case You Missed It

Preparing the Land

Our neighbor came to plow up the area twice. The first time was in March to get rid of the weeds that had started to grow. The second time was in April to get the soil prepared for planting the grass and wildflower seed. The original plan was to mix the two together and let him spread it all from the tractor. However, I was a bit of a control freak so I decided to spread the wildflower seed myself by hand.

Planting the Wildflower Seeds

I was finally able to plant the wildflowers seeds in May. It was later than I had planned but we had several weeks of rain and I had to wait for the ground to dry enough to walk on. American Meadows sent a free hand spreader with my seeds but it wasn’t sturdy enough to use. This hand spreader from Scotts worked great and help alleviate the strain on my arm.

We have had it for years and I couldn’t locate any for sale to provide a link for you. However, I found this newer version on Amazon. Scotts Whirl Hand-Powered Spreader.

Mixing The Seeds

First, I divided all of the wildflower seeds into two large bowls. You can use a bucket if you have more seeds than I did. We purchased bags of sand from Lowe’s to mix with the wildflower seeds. Next, I mixed the wildflower seeds from one of the bowls with sand. I used a plastic cup to measure 1 scoop of wildflower seed to 6 cups of sand. The instructions from American Meadows recommends a 1:8 ratio but after doing that two times I realized that we were going to have to buy a lot more sand. Finally, I hand mixed the seeds and sand inside the bucket with each 1:6 measurement.

I mixed 2 buckets and put one of each side of the prepared land so that I could fill the hand spreader from each side of the area. My husband drove back and forth and moved the buckets as I progressed along the area. I walked back and forth from east to west until all of the seeds from the first bowl were spread.

Next, I used the wildflower seeds from the second bowl to repeat the process. This time I walked north to south to try to get an even coverage of the entire area. My calculations were not entirely correct and my seeds did not cover the entire area. I may have been walking to slow, cranking too fast, or I overlapped too much. Or maybe it was because I didn’t use the recommended 1:8 ratio of seed to sand. Whatever it was, I’m not concerned about it.

The Wildflower Seeds I Planted

I ordered my wildflower seeds from American Meadows. They have great reviews and their customer service is incredible. I planted 15 pounds of wildflower seeds. I’ve been taking pictures as the flowers are blooming so that I can keep an inventory of them. This year will just be the annuals but they are already so beautiful! I can’t wait until next spring.

7 Pounds of All Perennial Wildflower Mixture

From the American Meadows website: Containing 19 hardy species, the All Perennial Wildflower Seed mix is a beautiful way to bring lasting color to any landscape in zones 1-8. With 15 biennial and perennial wildflowers like Sweet William, Foxglove, Blue Flax and Blazing Star, this mix is designed to build blooms and increase color as the years pass. Including 4 annual varieties to mark your planting area and provide color in the early years, this mix contains only 100% Pure, non-GMO & Neonicotinoid-free seeds.

Siberian Wallflower
Shasta Daisy
Lance-Leaf Coreopsis
Sweet William
Foxglove
Clasping Coneflower
Purple Coneflower
Blanket Flower
Blazing Star
Blue Flax
Wild Lupine
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Maltese Cross
Mexican Hat
Yellow Prairie Coneflower
Gloriosa Daisy
Black-eyed Susan

3 Pounds of Honey Bee Wildflower Mix

From the American Meadows website: The Honey Bee Wildflower Mix features 19 nectar-rich wildflowers and clovers adored by bees. Easy to grow across much of the country (zones 1 – 8), this pollinator-friendly mix includes 12 annual varieties like Lacy Phacelia and Yellow Prairie Coneflower for quick, first-season blooms, and 7 perennial wildflowers like Mexican Hat and Echinacea for years of lasting color in the seasons to follow. Contains 100% Pure, non-GMO and Neonicotinoid-free seeds that are guaranteed to grow.

Shasta Daisy
Lance-Leaf Coreopsis
Sulphur Cosmos
Purple Coneflower
Dwarf Sunflower Sunspot
Sweet Alyssum
Baby Blue Eyes
Lacy Phacelia
Yellow Prairie Coneflower
Mexican Hat
Black-eyed Susan
African Marigold
Strawberry Clover
Crimson Clover
White Dutch Clover

2 Pounds of Fall Maximum Mix

From the American Meadows website: Our easy-to-grow mix includes over 43 annual wildflowers for quick color in the first growing season and 19 perennial wildflowers for color in the second and successive seasons. Whether youre planning a dormant fall planting in a cooler climate, or you want to see bright fall colors in a warm climate, this hardy mixture is perfect for fall planting in any region. All of our seed is non-GMO, neonicotinoid free, and guaranteed to grow!

White Yarrow
Love Lies Bleeding
Blue Pimpernell
European Columbine
Prairie Aster
Calendula or Pot Marigold
Safflower
Feathered Celosia
Dwarf Cornflower or Bachelor Button
Sweet Sultan
Siberian Wallflower
Garland Daisy
Shasta Daisy
Chrysanthemum Multicaule
Chrysanthemum Paludosum
Chicory
Godetia
Mountain Garland
Lance Leaved Coreopsis (Dwarf & Tall)
Chinese Forget Me Not
Rocket Larkspur Imperial Mix
Larkspur Giant Imperial Mix
Sweet William
African Daisy
Purple Coneflower
Dwarf Blanket Flower
Dwarf Sunspot
Sunflower Lemon Queen
Sunflower Velvet Queen
Strawflower
Candytuft
Meadow Foam
Dwarf Baby Snapdragon
Scarlet Flax
Blue Flax
Sweet Alyssum
Mexican Lupine
Perennial Lupine
Dwarf Russel Lupine
Evening Scented Stock
Four O’Clock
Five Spot
Baby Blue Eyes
Evening Primrose
Missouri Primrose
Showy Evening Primrose
Red Poppy Shirley Poppy
California Blue Bell
Lacy Phacelia
Clasping Coneflower
Gloriosa Daisy
Scarlet Sage
Blue Sage
Dwarf Catchfly or None So Pretty
Crimson Clover
Nasturtium
Moss Verbena

2 Pounds of Black-Eyed Susan & Echinacea Combo

From the American Meadows website: The Black Eyed Susan & Purple Coneflower Seed Combo is a native duo that creates instant charm and attracts a myriad of butterflies, bees, and other pollinators to the summer garden. This versatile combination can be planted in garden beds, wildflower meadows, and anywhere in between for years of easy color. Tolerates poor soil and less-than-ideal growing conditions.

1 Pound of White New Zealand Clover

From the American Meadows website: This legume is a vigorous, easy-to-grow clover that will produce large, white blooms. White Clover is perfect for using as a cover crop. Perennial.

Wildflowers

There are already some beautiful wildflowers on our acreage that I thought I should share with you.

I will update you with pictures of the area that was planted in the coming weeks. Until then, here is a picture of a few early bloomers that I picked this week.