How to Plant a Wildflower Garden in Northern California

The vivid displays of wildflowers in northern California are some of the most spectacular in the U.S. Wildflowers add color and visual interest to open meadows and pasture land. They can be planted alongside streams, lakes or ponds. Wildflowers attract bees and butterflies while adding color and visual interest to the landscape. A wildflower meadow is easy to maintain as the flowers do not require weeding, trimming or mowing. Wildflower landscapes have grown in popularity as more homeowner seek to garden in an organic, sustainable way. It is easy to incorporate wildflowers into your northern California landscape.

Wildflower seed
Garden rake
Gardening gloves

Instructions

- 1
  
  Wildflowers add vivid color to drab landscapes.
  
  Plant wildflowers in a location with good drainage. A slanting slope or hillside is ideal. Some wildflower seeds will rot if broadcast in areas with standing water. Canyon clover (Trifolium howellii), also known as Howell's clover, can be found throughout northern California. It is an excellent plant to fill in barren spots on hillsides and open meadows.
- 2
  Select open areas that already support vegetation. Soil that is barren of weeds or grasses is unlikely to have the nutrients needed for vigorous wildflower growth. Mow grasses and existing weeds and vegetation. Till the soil, cultivating deeply to remove roots and rocks and prepare the seed bed. Lavender sage (Orocopia sage), native to California, thrives in less than ideal soil conditions.
- 3
  Select native wildflower species. There are literally hundreds of wildflowers that are native to northern California. Contact your local extension agent to determine which native flowering plants will grow best in your area. Native to California, lax flowered locoweed (Astragalus nutans), presents bright, deep pink flowers. Bitterweed (Helenium amarum), also known as yellowdicks, add bright sunshine yellow color to bare spots in the landscape. Low growing, the plant reaches 6 to 8 inches tall. Bluestem goldenrod (Solidago caesia) is tall and busy with vivid yellow flowers.
- 4
  Mix seeds with coarse sand to facilitate even distribution. Use about five times as much sand as the volume of seeds. Bulk wildflower seeds can be purchased online or from home and garden centers. The vivid orange California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) grows from sea level to mountain slopes at elevations up to 5,000 ft.
- 5
  Sow the seeds in the fall, September through late November. Seeds scattered after November will not likely germinate until spring. Seeds may also be broadcast in the spring, March through May. Tamp down the seeds and water lightly. If feasible, cover seeds with a thin (1-inch) layer of peat moss, straw or other organic mulch.

DIY Plant Watering Globe

How to Build a Backyard Butterfly Habitat

Green & Organic