All About the Wildflowers

So many people enjoyed the wildflower field this year so I thought I would share a little about how it was planted and why, as well as, what it will hopefully do next year.

In previous years, this field has been leased out to local farmers (which is important), but in 2022 we wanted to do something a little different. We wanted to be able to use the land. We wanted to extend our trails and have more space to explore, etc. We had a blank slate to work with and decided to plant a mixture of grasses and maybe throw in a few wildflower seeds and see what happened.

I visited a great resource online for seed mixtures and quickly realized that wildflowers are quite expensive, especially when you have about 6 acres to cover. American Meadows allowed me to research what blend of grasses and wildflowers would work well in our area. We ended up choosing about 3 different grasses including orchard grass, alfalfa, and clover. It was important that we provided good ground cover and nutrients to replenish the used up soil. We decided to mix in a wildflower blend made for our Midwest area with annuals and perennials. We also added a pollinator wildflower seed mix, and a deer resistant wildflower seed mix. All together the seed cost was around $800 *gasp!

The seeds were mixed in a large bin together with about 75 percent orchard grass, 10 percent each of clover and alfalfa, and about 5 percent flower seeds. We had a local farmer till the field and borrowed a tractor and seed spreader. Spreading the seeds early in the spring when the ground was still cool and wet was key. We also had the local farmer come back and roll the field with a big roller to press the seeds into the ground. This allowed for better soil contact and faster germination. Also less likely to wash away in a heavy rain.

I will tell you right now that I expected very little out of that field, other than hoping that the grass grew enough to cover, protect, and replenish the bare ground.

What came next was a gift… a miracle… call it what you will. By early summer that field was popping with all sorts of cosmos, zinnia, rudbeckia, bachelor buttons, and more! Many of you saw it while driving by and were amazed. Trust me… the feeling was mutual. It was hard not to stop and stare.

We had so many visitors stop and take pictures, and comment on how beautiful it was. We even had photographers doing photo sessions. We unfortunately had a fair share of trespassers that thought it was “public land” because they were “wild flowers.” Many of them were visiting from out of state and didn’t understand that these wildflowers didn’t just grow themselves.

Many visitors shared that you just don’t see this kind of thing around here, and sadly I agree.

We did, however, have many people stop and want to know what we planted. They were so inspired that they too wanted to plant wildflowers in their yards in an effort to require less lawn maintenance.

After the season was over, I had a lovely woman stop to simply say thank you. Those wildflowers were the highlight of her trip each time she drove by. I was deeply humbled. It is amazing how these wildflowers were able to capture the attention and bring joy to so many people.

In one quick swoop, frost came early and killed the field overnight. Just like that, they left so quickly.

Next season, we are hoping *fingers crossed, that the annual flowers have reseeded themselves and the perennials will also take root and start growing. The experiment continues and I am hoping (as much as you are) that we see the field in bloom again.

Other FAQ’s about the field:

Q: Have the deer been an issue? Not at all! This surprised me as well, but we did not find any evidence of the deer eating any of the varieties in bloom this year. We will have to monitor next year. We did find several spots where the deer made beds to sleep.

Q: Did this bring in pollinators and other animals? Absolutely! We had so many bugs this season, both good and bad. The field was always buzzing with insects and birds as well. With the tall grass we also had a healthy population of mice and snakes! So many benefits to our ecosystem not only for us, but also for the animals who live here.

Q: Do you use the field flowers in your bouquets? Very rarely. It was never the plan to use the field flowers in my bouquets. I picked a few but found that many of the flowers in the field had bug damage almost as soon as they bloomed. The cosmos were lovely all the time, but they just don’t have a long vase life so I enjoy them from the field. In the garden I am better able to monitor and control the unwanted bugs and my chickens help with that too.

Q: Where can I see the field next season? We are 2 miles east of Birchwood on Hwy 48. Please view from the road, stop in a chat if you see we are home. Please do not walk in the field without permission.

It’s been a great experiment and I’m so glad that we were willing to do something “different” in our area. I can’t wait to see what the next season brings us in the field.

“May all your weeds be wildflowers”

If you saw the flower field or took pictures, please share!