Instructions / Assembly

Wildflowers are beautiful, useful and inexpensive additions to any
home landscape. Their colors span the rainbow, and their varying
heights, forms and flower shapes will spark your imagination. Many
are fast growing, hardy and drought tolerant once established.
Furthermore, by using seeds instead of bedding plants, you'll get
healthier, more robust plants at maturity-and save money too!
Use wildflowers for:
• Borders and edgings
• Beds in small spaces, such as courtyards and side yards
• Spot color in rock gardens
• Meadows
• Quick color near new shrubs
• Erosion control on slopes
• Replacement for thirsty lawns
• Containers, window boxes and hanging baskets
• Cut flower arrangements
• Wildlife habitats
The following information is designed to give you helpful tips for
growing wildflowers.
When To Plant. The best time to plant depends upon watering and
soil temperatures. Determine whether the area will be watered by a
sprinkler system (irrigated) or other form of supplemental irrigation or
whether it will be watered only by rainfall (non-irrigated). Irrigated
sites can be established once the soil temperatures reach 65 to 70
degrees Fahrenheit. Non-irrigated sites are best planted just before
the rainy season. Generally, in southern and western portions of the
U.S., planting should be done in the fall. In northern and eastern
regions, planting should be done in the spring. Annual wildflowers
develop leaves and stems during the cool periods and begin
flowering during warmer temperatures. The longer plants are allowed
to develop, the more substantial the root and leaf structures are and
the longer and more spectacular the flowering period.
Where to plant. Most species of wildflowers require six to eight
hours of sunlight. Less sunlight will produce plants that are leggy,
weak and without flowers. A few species, and one of our mixtures,
will tolerate partial shade (at least four hours of sunlight). Do not
attempt to seed areas that have dense shade.
Providing good drainage. Good drainage is essential for the best
plant growth. If water doesn't soak in, runs off quickly or keeps the
soil continually soggy, you may need to till the soil and add
amendments to improve drainage. On slopes, use low-volume
irrigation such as mini- or micro-sprinklers to minimize surface runoff
and erosion of the seed and soil.
Controlling weeds. Weeds are a great threat to the success of your
wildflowers. Weeds generally grow taller and faster than wildflowers,
robbing the soil of moisture and nutrients and eventually sunlight.
Therefore, it is important to remove weeds before seeding. Clear the
area of existing weeds with a fast-acting, non-selective systemic
herbicide, such as Monsanto's Roundup. If tilling is necessary to
improve soil structure, it should be done before weed control. If tilling
is not necessary, move on to watering.
Tilling. It is best not to heavily till the area as it may bring dormant
weed seeds to the surface where they will germinate and compete
with the wildflowers. However, if there is soil compaction or poor
drainage, you should till. When tilling, incorporate organic material,
such as humus mulch or compost, and then grade the soil into a firm
seed bed.