by Lydia Holley October 17, 2022
The Texas Department of Transportation has been planting wildflowers along roadsides since 1917. In 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson signed “Lady Bird’s Bill,” the Highway Beautification Act. This Act helped spread the joy of seeing wildflowers bloom across the nation.
Whether along the highway or in suburban lots, spring wildflowers bloom abundantly in Texas. They bring color to the landscape and play an important part in helping bring food to pollinators. If you are interested in having spring-blooming wildflowers in your garden, now is the time to scatter seeds for many of them.
Seeds you can sow now through December include: black-eyed Susan, bluebonnet, California poppy, coreopsis, corn poppy, Drummond phlox, Indian blanket, Mexican hat, purple coneflower, scarlet sage, showy primrose, standing cypress, and winecup.
For best results, make certain your soil has good drainage. Plant to the correct depth and do not cover them too deeply. Many seeds can just be pressed into the soil with your shoe. For a stunning display, you will want to plant an abundance of seed. Save small scatterings to sow in between your regular plantings.
Although there are some wildflowers which need shade, most grow best in full sun. Should the soil become too dry, you may need to supplement with water, but you can not do anything about extreme weather conditions such as late freezes. As with most everything about gardening, there’s a bit of luck involved.
Do not be too concerned about things you can not control. Remember, wildflowers have been blooming for centuries, so sometimes the best thing to do is to forget about them until they emerge on their own. Then, once your wildflowers start blooming, you may have carloads of traffic coming to see them.
For more information, call 903-675-6130, email hendersonCMGA@gmail.com.
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