First Spring Wildflowers- February 2010
Milk Maids are the first wildflowers of the year blooming in winter months.
The blue Hounds Tongue just came out with tall stalks from tongue shaped leaves at the base.
It is always so exciting to see the Milk Maids blooming in the hills. This means that many beautiful wildflowers will soon start to appear. With the green grass the colorful blooms decorate our forest and foothills making spring a celebration of new growth. Poetic- huh!
It all just makes me want to go for a hike and see what flowers I can find. Along with the wildflowers this year came a new baby faun up at Mom’s in Marin. The deer roam freely and enjoy eating what we plant there but don’t bother the wildflowers and can’t keep up with the grass!
Pretty seed packet showing a wildflower mix for your garden.
Want to grow a patch? Pick a spot that is sunny and if possible with a slight slope for drainage. Keep in mind that wildflowers bloom from spring to early summer then die down. Pick a spot where you don’t mind having the area die off in the heat of summer. Leave the plants after they die to let the seeds disperse then cut the dead foliage and mix back into the soil.
Wildflowers like loose soil and don’t need much soil to cover the seeds. To prepare the area to plant, spade or till the existing soil and add in a 1-2″ layer of mushroom compost or other natural composted material. Rake the area to be even and remove any hard clods or rocks. Scatter the seed over the soil and cover with a fine layer of clean sand or well broken up soil from your garden. Tamp down the area or walk over it to press the seeds down into soil. Water the area after planting and water occasionally if the rain doesn’t keep the area moist.
I have had mixed success growing seeds from the packets but its always fun to see what comes up and which wildflowers do well. Re-plant a packet in the coming years in fall or early spring and you will build up a little meadow of wildflowers of your very own.
