Growing Wildflowers – Which Flowers are Right for You

Growing wildflowers in a carefree area; field, meadow, or a large area in your yard will provide you with an eye-catching garden throughout the summer season.  Wildflowers are not difficult to grow provided you plant flowers that are native to your area.  

Which Wildflower is Right for You?

There are a variety of wildflowers available the best way to choose the type that is right for your area is to know your growing zone. 

Wildflowers are flowers that grow naturally in your area and thus they are tolerant of your environment. This means if your summers are dry then the natural wildflowers in your area are accustomed to these weather conditions and are drought tolerant. 

 

These flowers come in different heights; some are low growing and these can be planted in a border garden or in a raised garden bed.  Most wildflowers are tall, with stems up to three feet.  These tall beautiful flowers are eye appealing growing in masses in a large garden; prairie, cottage or a cutting garden.

There are perennial wildflowers that will return yearly and there are annual wildflowers that will grow for one season and then die back.  They will not return the following summer and you will need to replant.

Choose a wildflower seed that will accommodate your garden needs, buy seeds in packets for small gardens and seeds in bulk to cover large areas of ground. Also, choose the flowers that will grow in your sun exposure.  Some flowers are formulated to grow in shady conditions and others are meant to grow in sun. 

Planting

Test your soil before planting as wildflowers grow best in moderate humus dirt that is well-drained.   If your soil is poor, then amend it with organic compost, manure or topsoil. For clay based soil then amend this soil with sand and with organic compost.  

Follow the directions as to when to plant. Some flowers are planted in the fall and others in the spring.  Water wildflowers seeds every day.  Seedlings need plenty of water until the roots are established. Best time to water is in the morning.  

Notes:

Fertilize with water applications I like to use miracle grow bloom booster.  A light application of fertilizer when seedlings are about a foot tall is helpful.  Also, apply a thin layer of mulch to aid in retaining moisture and to deter weed growth. 

Water newly planted wildflower seeds and seedlings lightly and frequently during germination, then water as needed in the morning.  Generally, I water daily with a soaking hose so the water gets to the roots.

If you enjoy watching wildlife; butterflies, hummingbirds then grow a garden of wildflowers.

 

Home and Garden Curb Appeal Ideas

Is the entrance of your home welcoming to guests?   Is the landscape manicured or is the lawn overgrown with crabgrass?   Or does your home and garden need some curb appeal? 

Here are a few of my yard and garden photographs

Curb appeal says a lot about your house and if your front entrance is eye-appealing then your home will be a valuable asset to the neighborhood and if you intend on selling your home, buyers will be more attracted to a home.

Why you should improve your curb appeal: 

Improve your home's curb appeal especially if you intend on selling your home. A home that features a color scheme along with a manicured lawn, gardens, and welcoming home entrance is a home that will hold its real estate value. A simple remodeling will enhance the beauty of your home. 

Choosing the right curb appeal theme for your home:

Before you begin any curb appeal project take a picture of your home.  Then list from the pictures the areas that need to be improved.  To get some ideas for ways to make your home entrance look better is to buy home improvement magazines or garden and landscape books. Another way to get some ideas is to drive around your neighborhood and look at what your neighbors are doing.

How to add curb appeal to your home:

Make your home more inviting to guests by installing a window box.  Grow flowers or herbs in the boxes.  Plant ivy close to the rim of the box and it will cascade down the outside of the window box.  This attractive window box will improve your home and your neighbors will compliment you on your curb appeal. 

 

Another way to make your home more inviting by improving your curb appeal is to install a natural stone or gravel path.  Design a meandering path that is attractive and inviting to guests.

Plan gardens that will outline the path, and also add solar lighting. The path should connect your front entrance to the sidewalk or driveway.

Another way to improve the appeal of your home is to paint your front door and then hang a seasonal wreath or flank your entrance with fragrant herb container gardens.  If you have porches why not add an inviting seating area with cushions that coordinate with your color scheme.  A free-standing fountain is tucked in the corner of your porch. 

More Curb Appeal Ideas

Consider painting your entire house with a new color scheme. A trendy color scheme that complements the style of your home will add warmth to your home entrance. A simple way to determine a color that would be suitable for the exterior of your home is to look at the colors in your roof shingles or stone facing.  Select the prominent color in the roof shingle, or stone facing your home, this color would be your primary color then select two complimentary colors for trim and accent colors. 

Lily Growing Tips

Lilies come in a variety of colors and sizes.  There are border lilies that are mid-sized that may be grown along a walkway or encircling a tree.  

Then there are the smaller lilies; Stella de Oro or happy returns that look good grown in the front of the garden. In the back or in the center grow  Asiatic, Orientals, and tiger lilies in the back of the garden.  These lilies will add interest and height to your flower garden.

If you want to add an exotic appeal to your yard and garden then grow tiger lilies.  The lily is a summer-blooming flower that will produce flowers in July and August.   

Lilies that bloom in my garden.   

Growing Lilies

Lilies are easy to grow. Plant the lily bulbs in the fall.  Nursery-grown lilies are planted in spring after the danger of frost has passed.  

Grow lilies in full sun to part sun in well-drained acidic soil. If you have extremely hot summers then lilies will welcome partial shade.  My summers are hot with temperatures soaring into the 100s.   

My lilies have four hours of the morning sun, four hours of partial shade in the afternoon, and four hours of the late afternoon sun.  I shelter them from the peak heat and they are healthy. 

Planting Lilies

Clear your garden site by removing grass, weeds, and rocks.  Loosen the soil to sixteen inches deep.  Dig a hole that is six inches deep.  Add some bone meal and then set the fat flat end of the lily in the center of the hole the slightly pointy side should face up. 

Backfill the hole with the remaining soil and water the lilies well.  For multiple planting of lilies space your lilies 12 to 18  inches apart.

Tips
When lilies are above the ground apply mulch around them to help to maintain moisture and to discourage weed growth.
In autumn cut your lilies back.

Then add three inches of mulch on top of the lilies this will protect them throughout winter.

 Here are some tips on growing Asiatic lilies in a container: 

  

Stella De Oro Daylily Growing Tips

The Stella d Oro with its golden yellow flowers will bloom all from June to August.  Plant this 18 to 24-inch high lily in a container or along a garden border. This lily is a great ground cover and looks good grown in a rock garden. Stella de Oro lilies are easy to grow provided that you grow them in full sun and well-drained soil.

I grow Stella de Oro lilies in a garden bed that is close to my patio table. The flowers always look cheerful and certainly brighten the garden.

The foliage of this lily grows out of a compact clump.  The leaves are long and narrow with a bend and point at the tip.  The dark green leaves are an attractive background for the vibrant yellow flowers. When fully grown the daylilies will be two feet high with a similar spread.  Plant this prolific bloomer in containers, along a walkway or in a feature garden, or anywhere that you desire the cheerful golden-yellow color.  

I grow Stella de’Oro lilies along my back slope, I like the attractive green foliage and the yellow flowers look beautiful when grown in masses.

Plant the lilies in the spring after the danger of frost has passed. This particular lily is not fussy about the soil or the PH however if you mix your soil with compost or manure the plants are strong and the flowers are vibrant.  

Choose a garden site that has six hours of sun with well-drained soil. If your summers are extremely hot with temperatures well into the upper nineties, then select a garden site where the lilies will have part sun in the heat of the day. 

 Dig a hole that is the same depth as the nursery container.  

 Gently shake off some dirt from the root and then set the lily clump in the center of the hole, spread the roots so that they face outward.

Fill the hole with soil and water well.  For bare root planting, you would hydrate your bare root for thirty minutes before you plant.  Do this by filling a bowl with tepid water and setting the barefoot in the bowl.  Plant the bare root so that the top of the root is one inch below the soil.

Care for your flowers by watering them in the morning with drip irrigation. It is better for daylilies to provide them with a deep watering of 8 to 10 inches than it is to water them sparingly.  

When you view new growth, apply two inches of mulch around the lilies.  Fertilize with miracle grow bloom booster in mid-May to promote blooms in June.