For gardeners who enjoy a natural aesthetic, planting a wildflower garden might seem like the well-known choice for enhancing a home landscape. Many seed companies offer instant wildflower gardens in various solutions, but it takes more work than simply scattering seeds and hoping they become wild plants.
If you want to know more about wildflower gardens and whether they’re the right choice for your outdoor space, here is a basic guide to help:
What exactly is a wildflower garden?
A “wildflower” is any species of flower that has proven to be hardy and self-producing in a given area, regardless of human intervention. However, even if wildflowers grow successfully on their own, they aren’t always native plants. That said, most wildflowers thrive with poor soil and neglect, making them the perfect denizens of a low-maintenance garden.
What are the benefits of a wildflower garden?
The primary benefit of planting wildflowers in your outdoor space is that they can be a simple, low maintenance foundation of your garden. Growing wildflowers can help improve soil fertility and prevent erosion. They also tend to attract beneficial insects like bees and butterflies.
How to plant a wildflower garden
Here are some expert tips for growing wildflowers:
- Plant individual plants or individual plant seeds. Unfortunately, wildflower seed mixes are not as successful as focusing on individual plants.
- Rake the ground before and after spreading the seeds.
- Water the entire area thoroughly, as the seeds need to stay moist until the sprouts are a few inches tall. To help retain moisture, add a light layer of mulch.
Is a wildflower garden right for you? Keep these basic tips in mind when considering adding wildflower plants to your outdoor space.
About the Author
Judy Szablak
With over 30 years in the industry, Realtor Judy Szablak has been on national television for her real estate expertise on the HGTV Network, featured on Martha Stewart Living Radio "Morning Living” , NPR radio as an expert real estate panelist, It’s Relevant News channel, and quoted in the Wall Street Journal for her in depth knowledge of Fairfield County Connecticut real estate.
She was also on the local NPR radio station (WSHU) as a Fairfield County CT real estate expert. Judy has provided multiple online respected news sources with her real estate expertise including The Daily Easton, The Daily Weston, The Daily Fairfield, The Daily Stamford and The Daily Greenwich, as well as in print in the New York Post. She is a weekly Real Estate Columnist for WestportNow.com, another real estate column "Real Estate With Judy” is syndicated through Hearst CT Media Online and seen in The Connecticut Post, The Danbury News-Times, The Stamford Advocate, The Greenwich Time, The Hour, Fairfield Citizen, Westport News, Darien News, New Canaan News and the Wilton Villager.
Judy is also the author of the book, The Art of Buying or Selling a Home, available at all major book retailers. Additionally, Judy has been nationally recognized in a number of national real estate trade magazines, some with distribution to over 1 million members. She was featured in Real Estate Today as early as 1994 for her commitment to, and implementation of technology in real estate. Judy appeared in the Certified Residential Specialist Magazine, as she provided advice on marketing strategies and ethics in the article titled "Marketing Makeovers.”
Judy was also featured in REALTOR® Magazine, regarding image enhancement for Realtors. She was again featured in REALTOR® Magazine, in an article on "Achieving Flow” and operating at optimal peak performance. In another article in the same publication, Judy offered guidance to fellow real estate professionals as she explored the topic of implementing and maintaining personal websites. She has appeared in The Council of Residential Specialists Magazine, which featured her ideas regarding technology. Additionally, Judy authored an article on marketing and technology for the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Online Magazine. On two occasions, in 2015 and 2017, she appeared as a featured agent in Top Agent Magazine. I have a few other websites- www.TheCtrealtyBlog.com www.CtHomesAndRealEstate.com www.BestWestportHomes.com www.ThePetitePowerhouse.com www,SzablakConsulting.com
