Wildflowers — an option
for park landscaping

Economical and easy to tend, these plants are becoming increasingly popular.

By John R. Thomas

Wildflowers are becoming an increasingly popular landscape item because they make sense economically and ecologically. They are easy to grow, require little or no watering and fertilizing, and require less mowing than other commonly used landscape materials. Instead of interfering with the environment, they complement it.

Wildflowers come in an amazing variety of colors, sizes and densities. Every shade of red, from the palest pink to the deepest scarlet, can be found in the wildflower population of America. Pastel blues, deep purples, sunny yellows and rich golden tints can be combined to produce vistas that will enhance any park landscape.

Some hug the ground, others grow in symmetrical mounds, and still others stand stately and tall to catch the wind. Some are delicate; others are thick and lush.

An economical choice

Wildflowers are inexpensive to plant and easy to tend. Planting an acre of Wildflowers normally costs half as much as sodding an acre of turf, even if you choose the most expensive wildflower seed mixture available.

There is a popular perception that wildflowers are difficult to establish, but they are quite tough, often surviving in the harshest conditions. Still, careful planning and modern planting techniques will improve the chances of getting a breathtaking bank of color instead of sparse clumps of flowers scattered around your grounds.

Planting the right seed mixture in the right place is important, too, especially if you want blooms for several months out of the year. Some plants grow well on rocky hillsides while others prefer rich, dark flat fields. Others thrive in sandy, dry environments. Some are almost "bulletproof," growing well in almost any soil and climate.

Wildflowers usually germinate very easily. They can be planted in gardens, around small trees and shrubs, as borders along paths or walkways or in large areas where panoramic displays of color are desired. They can be planted in bare soil or with existing grass, except for some hardy winter grasses which are too aggressive to allow wildflowers to become established.

Getting started

Ground preparation is minimal. In bare soil areas, raking will loosen the soil surface enough to permit proper contact. In grassy areas, existing vegetation should be mowed short and the thatch removed. The area should then be raked lightly.

Planting, too, is simple. Wildflower seeds can be broadcast, and the area can be raked lightly to establish proper seed and soil contact. If large areas are to be seeded, special equipment is available to speed the process, ensure good coverage and permit soil/ seed contact of several different kinds of seeds at the same time.

A key element is putting out enough seed. Many people try to plant a small amount of seed over a large area to save money. The result is a large area with randomly scattered flowers instead

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of dense clusters. Most reputable seed companies will advise you on planting rates per acre or per square foot even when a mixture is to be planted.

Growing seasons

Planting dates vary in different regions of the United States. As a rule, annuals (plants that reseed themselves each year) are planted in the fall or early spring. Most annuals bloom the first season after planting.

Perennials are usually slower to bloom, some taking as long as two to three years to fully develop into flowering plants. Perennials, once established, are usually dependable bloomers each year thereafter. Fall planting should be done three to six weeks before the first frost; spring planting is recommended several weeks before frost ends.

You may wish to begin your wild-flower venture by using a "shotgun" approach. Plant a small area with a mixture of 20 to 30 species by hand — broadcasting the seed. In the spring or early summer, notice what species perform best in that location by judging color and density. Select these wildflower species the next year for large plantings.

If you permit your wildflowers to mature, they will reseed themselves each year. Allow two weeks after full bloom before mowing. Generally, when the brown foliage exceeds the color display, a stand of wildflowers can be trimmed.

The first time you trim the area, raise the lawnmower to its highest cutting level. Then lower the blade and recut the area. This not only lengthens the life of your mower, but it also cuts the stem and foilage into smaller pieces. If the thatch is to be removed, shake the cut material to let

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the suspended seed fall to the ground before disposing of the debris.

Creative designs

In a park or recreation area you may want to find a theme for your plantings, using plants mentioned in local historical accounts or legends. You may want to choose wildflowers that have curative benefits or unusual uses. You may want to select fragrant varieties that can be dried and sold as sachet souvenirs. A little imagination and research can make your wild-flower stands interesting as well as beautiful.

A conservation effort

Planting wildflowers is a conservation measure. It preserves species of plants that are being pushed out of their natural habitat by urban development and modern farming and ranching techniques. It also conserves water since most wildflowers require less moisture then the plants found in European-style formal gardens. In addition, fuel is conserved because wildflowers require less mowing than the commonly used turf grasses.

The Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Park in Texas provides an excellent example of what can be done with wildflowers in a park setting. There, acres of blooms splash the ground with color each spring and delight thousands of visitors.

The Indians and early European settlers ate parts of wild flowering plants, used them as cleaners and medicines, and extracted dyes from them. Today, we are beginning to integrate them into developed areas. In downtown parks and along golf courses, wildflowers are again blooming where they bloomed hundreds of years ago.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: John R. Thomas is president and owner of Wildseed, Inc., a Houston, TX, firm that pioneered the planting of wildflowers in Texas. He is also chief executive officer of American Hydro-Grass Co., Inc., and vice-president of the Thomas Cattle Co. of Eagle Lake, TX. Thomas also serves on the board of trustees for the National Wildflower Research Center. He received the 1984 Environmental Improvement Award of Merit from the Association of Landscape Contractors of America.

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