Learn how to start a wildflower garden, from scratch, even if you are new to gardening!
This video focuses on a simple method for creating a low maintenance, aesthetically pleasing, perennial wildflower garden bed that focuses on using native plants that support pollinators (and other living things).
This video is inspired by a phone conversation I had with a friend, who called and asked how to create a wildflower garden in her front yard. She needed simple, actionable advice, and answers to questions like:
-What should I plant? How to find the best native plants for wildflower gardens?
-When should I grow annual wildflowers, or perennials?
-Should I start from seeds, or buy wildflower?
-Where do I shop for native plants or seeds?
-How do I make it look nice and neat for the landlord and neighbors while still supporting wildlife?
-How should I prepare the soil and plant and mulch a new pollinator garden?
-How often do I water native plants?
I thought this would make a great video! I hope it helps you!
Here are some ways you can get involved and learn more:
🪴 FREE MINI COURSE: How to choose the perfect plant (and put it in the right place): https://www.gardenprojectacademy.com/free-mini-course-choose-the-perfect-plant/
I HAVE EXCITING NEWS!
🪴 Design-Your-Own Landscape Layout ONLINE COURSE
…is now OPEN for enrollment!
For do-it-yourselfers who want to create their own landscape design, but just need a little extra guidance.I’ll walk you through the design process, step by step, so you can create a practical, hand-drawn “layout plan”(a landscape design plan that shows the layout of the finished design).
Learn more and sign up, here!
DIY Landscape Design Online Course: Design-Your-Own Landscape Layout
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Learn the basics of mulching in my previous video, here:
Here is my video that addresses about different mulch materials options:
And if you’re new here, hello! 🌱 My name is Eve Hanlin, I’m a certified horticulturist and landscape designer from the Pacific Northwest corner of the USA. I’ve offered in-person landscape design services for years and now I am taking landscape design online by offering digital courses and resources for do-it-yourselfers. This is my new business: Garden Project Academy.
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Tag me in your projects @gardenprojectacademy. I would love to see what you’re working on!
Remember that everything in my videos are for informational purposes only: It is entirely up to you to decide what is best for you, and your landscape.
20 Comments
I wish I had watched this before I bought those wildflower seed mixes, and just scattered them into the designated space. 🤷♀️ BUT, as you said, you live and learn. Things are going well, though. Things have sprouted and are growing. So I'll see what happens, and reassess next season. I'm new to the gardening world, and didn't want the stress of an "official" bed. I figured that if I could keep this little wildflower patch alive, I'd then branch out into the front yard. 😆🤞
perfect timing, given that i, the reasonable person i am (not), just yesterday finished writing down all 1478 plants to my specific ecoregion. i can vouch for planting already grown plants, i have never had the most success with seeds, though that's because i'm not the most regulated person. (also last month found an amazing native only nursery and botanical garden here in MA)
Thanks for this wonderful primer on starting a wildflower garden!
I had an area in mind that I wanted to plant with wildflowers. It's in a spot where I don't care how it looks to my neighbors, so I was thinking about just planting among the weeds and not clearing the area. I live in Wild & Wonderful WV, so weeds are just a part of life here. The wooded area behind my property (and half of my lawn) is home to weeds. The foundation plantings around my home are more maintained, mulched, and weed free but this "wildflower area" I had my eye on is currently in my "no mow zone." I just wanted to add some colorful (and helpful) plants to this weedy area. From the 6 pages of native plants my search found, I swear I recognized half of them and they're already growing here. They are plants I would call weeds, but the list says they are native plants. Eye of the beholder, I guess. LOL! So maybe nature has it under control here and doesn't really need my help. 😉
Hi friend! 😉 Love the video! Very helpful.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. Wildflower gardens is what I'm building on every year.
For annual wild flowers, visually contained space like a small fence is nice so people know its intentional 😂 also that first year you will really find out which are weeds when you let them grow because you don't know 😉
I really needed this video, at this time! Thank you so much. I have milkweed and black eyed Susan’s and some other native(ish) plants that I started in my basement and I’m hoping to start my (small, starter) bed in my front yard when the weather cools a bit here in southern New England! Thanks again. I’m so glad I found your channel!
Thank you so much for sharing all the information on your channel! I'm slowly re-landscaping my yard, trying to move away from the monoculture of the very basic lawn that was already here when we moved in. We have an overall plan for shapes and locations of plants, but here in the Pacific Northwest there are just so many options for flowers, shrubs, natives and non-natives, perennials and annuals…it's really helpful to learn how to narrow it down, assess what will fit and where. Have started filling in the little awkward spaces I couldn't figure out before, with the help of your advice on this channel. Thanks again!!
Eve, I just love all the information that you share. Even your voice and the way you speak gives me confidence that you are someone I want to listen to and be inspired by. You confirm all the things that I am already doing including searching for native plant resources. I also live the PNW (Vancouver, WA) and I've found some great resources that also have inexpensive options.
Definitely smother for 6 months is possible. I tried to till twice a month apart to kill all vegetation in tje spring and the bermuda grass just came back and smothered out my wild flower seeds in a month
𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐦 💥
Can we use straw as mulch ???
I am an avid gardener, getting ready to remove a front lawn. Love your ideas and tips, very practical and inspiring! I always look out my window as you suggested to think about what I am planting in front of it. We are in California and looking to remove the lawn and replace it with a drought friendly landscape.
Oh my goodness. I just found your channel tonight and have listened to a few of your video's. You sound like you're racing to put out a fire. Slow down, not everyone listens as fast as you talk. You have a wealth of information to share but you are doing yourself and your channel a disservice by speed talking. I really wanted to listen to the entire video but the speed talking started to annoy me. I hope you take this constructive criticism and use it to your advantage to grow your channel because your expertise as a landscape designer is valuable.
I thought u just tossed the seed into a corner of the yard…😮
As you stated you live and learn… I accidentally started a wildflower bed by buying the seeds thunking it was something else. Then did the research after just throwing them in one flower bed 😮. I'm hoping it looks nice but I'll figure it out as I go😢😂😂
Great video!
I HAVE EXCITING NEWS!
🪴Design-Your-Own Landscape Layout ONLINE COURSE 🪴is now OPEN for enrollment!
For do-it-yourselfers who want to create their own landscape design, but just need a little extra guidance.
I’ll walk you through the design process, step by step, so you can create a practical, hand-drawn "layout plan" (a landscape design plan that shows the layout of the finished design).
Learn more and sign up, here!
https://www.gardenprojectacademy.com/diy-landscape-design-online-course/
Your information is really great! I wish I knew it four years ago, I learned the hard way, especially about starting small and the importance of mulch! Thank you for sharing your skills! And for caring about the earth!