There is an oft repeated feeling that I experience every year here in Texas. By summer I am mentally packing my bags and moving to Colorado. I swear that I cannot take one more year here in this heat. But then something happens. Not just any something … but Texas in spring happens.
Specifically, our state breaks out into bloom. Then all of a sudden I no longer feel the immediate need to relocate to somewhere cooler, because there is nothing ‘cooler’ than spring Texas wildflowers in all their glory!
If you have an area in your yard that gets plenty of sun and maybe is in need of a little pizzazz, then you can easily bring these spring (and summer) blooming beauties to your home garden. September is a good month for planning you backyard wildflower patch.
In smaller beds, many wildflowers can be planted from pots as reseeding bedding plants or perennials along side your begonias and daffodils. For larger blank canvasses, there are great seed sources to fulfill every wildflower lover’s wildest dream.
Bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes are probably the first wildflowers that come to mind when we think Texas but some other great wildflower choices for home gardens include pink evening primrose, 4- nerve daisy, black foot daisy, penstemon, lantana, mealy blue sage, coreopsis, gallardia, and purple coneflower.
Some of these plants are becoming so common in the xeric gardens that we forget that they are actually wildflowers, still found along many of our roadsides all over the state.
For larger areas, the sky’s the limit when planting a wildflower patch. Just make sure that the seed mixes that you choose are formulated for your particular soil type. Sticking with Texas sources will help ensure your success in choosing the right seeds for your area (and yes, that even means whether you are east or west of I-35).
Wildflower plants can be installed almost any time from fall until spring, but the best time to set out seed is in the fall. Many wildflowers germinate in the fall, including bluebonnets. Planting this month or even earlier in September will help to ensure mature enough plants by early spring.
Some also need a cold spell to germinate, and all will benefit from the cooler fall temperatures and usual rainfall. The more wet stuff we receive in the fall and winter, the more amazing the blooms in the spring.
To set out seed, take a hard rake – or something similar – and scratch up the soil to give the seeds a loose surface to work into. Broadcast the seed over the area according to the seeding rates from the company for best results (or just scatter them until you are out- which is how it usually works at my house).
Lightly drag the rake across again to make sure the seeds are in contact with the soil and then water a few times a week for a couple of weeks to encourage germination. Another option is to plant just after a good rainstorm, and let nature take its course.
One note of caution: avoid planting wildflower seeds out where any weed and feed or pre-emergent has been put down for some time. This will prevent your seeds from sprouting.
If you’ve been given some wildflower seed balls (golf-ball size balls of dirt and seeds), they can be scattered out before a good rain into any promising area and should be able to take care of themselves from there.
Native wildflowers do not require regular irrigation, but in very dry years, some supplemental irrigation will help keep your wildflowers healthy enough to regenerate next season.
To keep your wildflowers coming back every year, especially the re-seeding annuals, avoid mowing or cutting them down in the spring until they have finished blooming and have shed their seeds.
If you have a gardening question, send it via email: iathyme@yahoo.com. (Please put ‘Ask Chris Winslow’ in the subject line.) Or mail your letter or postcard to: Ask Chris Winslow. It’s About Thyme: 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748
