For me, gardening is more than growing fruits, ornamental flowers, and vegetables. It is the source of my mental satisfaction in taking care of the ecosystem. In this case, I have found that growing wildflowers is the perfect contribution to the sustainability of the ecosystem.
If you are also a nature lover and compassionate about preserving environmental sustainability, you can grow wildflowers in your garden or a small area in your back or front yard.
The process is easy, and my guide on how to grow a wildflower bed in the Middle of your veggie garden will make it easier. Let’s start.
What is Wildflower
Idealistically, wildflowers are native or indigenous flowers that grow naturally in a certain area. Wildflower growing does not require human intervention.
Wildflower plants are highly adaptable to the local climate, environment, and soil conditions. There are annual, biannual, and perennial wildflowers available.
Why Grow Wildflower
From the intro, you know that growing wildflowers means supporting the ecosystem’s health. But how? The following points will help you understand.
- Wildflowers boost pollination by attracting and providing food and shelter to bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and other insects.
- The vibrant color combination of wildflowers enhances the visual appeal of the garden or open yard.
- Wildflowers are low-maintaineence. You just need to water sometimes and for a greater bloom you need to apply fertilizer in small quantity.
- The roots of wildflower plants reach deeper into the soil and are very strong. By having these characteristics, the roots improve the soil quality restricting soil erosion and runoff.
- The flowers are the source of food for many small birds and small wildlife.
- Wildflowers grow very fast, and there is no need to install barriers to save the plants from wildlife.
How to Grow Wildflower Bed in Veggie Garden
The following are the stepwise guidelines.
Step 01: Space Allocation
First, you have to allocate a certain space for the wildflower plants in your garden. Consider the factors listed below while selecting the location in your garden.
- The selected space receives a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight.
- Critically examine the direction of the sunny entry and ensure that the wildflower plants do not create shades to the veggie.
- Also, you need to ensure the allocated space for wildflower growing is easily accessible.
Step 02: Wildflower Type Selection
As mentioned earlier, wildflowers are basically native flower plants that are compatible with local weather and soil conditions. So, you have to do a bit of research to find out what the native flowers in your region are.
For example, if you live in Texas, the best options are bluebonnet, Indian paintbrush, prairie verbena, pink evening primrose, common sunflower, and so on.
On the other hand, if you live in Florida, the best options are butterfly milkweed, buttonweed, aster, cutleaf coneflower, goldenrod, baneberry, vervain, and so on.
Step 03: Soil Bed Preparation
Now, prepare the soil bed. Start with testing the soil pH and quality. The suitable soil pH level ranges from 5.5 to 7.5, depending on the flower type.
If you find the soil pH is below 5.5, add wooden ash or agricultural salt to increase the soil pH. On the contrary, if you find the soil pH is higher than 7.5, you have to use elemental sulfur to reduce the pH.
However, after determining the soil pH and other qualities, perform the below-listed approaches.
- Remove weeds, dirt, debris, stone particles, etc., from the soil surface.
- Address the soil pH issues as per the mentioned guideline.
- Loosen the soil 6 inches to 8 inches deep with a garden fork or tiller. Break down all the hard soil depositions to ensure greater aeration and appropriate root penetration.
- Depending on the soil fertility needs, you have to use compost, green manure, or peat moss to improve the soil fertility.
- If the soil does not have good drainage properties, you have to take measures. For example, if the soil has clayey property, you should use farm manure or shredded leaves to improve the soil drainage.
- Finally, a rack was used to level the soil of the bed.
Step 04: Growing Wildflower
Depending on your area’s wildflower plant characteristics and required weathering conditions, select the best seeding time. Now, collect high-quality seeds from a reputed vendor.
Before seeding, water the soil bed properly and let the excess water drain out. Then, cast the seed in a scattered pattern, as the wildflowers have an exceptional survival capacity. Lastly, use a rack to ensure solid seeds-to-soil contact.
Step 05: Maintenance and Care
Water the wildflower plants regularly if you want a good bloom. Also, control weeds to maintain the visual appeal of the wildflower bed in the veggie garden.
Finally, do not treat these plants like other flower plants, and there is no need to protect them from insects. You must allow them to grow naturally; otherwise, the objective of supporting biodiversity will fail.
Addressing Common Issues in Wildflower Bed Growing
- Poor germination can occur for reasons like compact soil, poor seed quality, degraded bonding between seeds and soil, inadequate moisture, etc. To restrict such occurrences, you have to ensure that the soil preparation is perfect while purchasing only the good seeds. Also, you must put effort into keeping the soil bed moist.
- As you are going to cast the seeds in a scattered manner, there is a chance that certain spots in the wildflower bed will accommodate a significant number of plants, increasing the competition over nutrients. If you observe such a problem, extract some seedlings to address the context of overcrowding.
- It is certain that wildflowers are designated to attract insects and provide them with food and shelter. However, some pests do not benefit wildflower growth at all. So, consult with the local expert to determine the possible infestation and resolution, as the pest issue varies from region to region.
Final Words
I hope you will use my guide on how to grow a wildflower bed in the Middle of your veggie garden to start supporting the local ecosystem. By incorporating the stepwise guidelines, you will be able to create the wildflower habitat in your veggie garden effortlessly.
Finally, I forbid you from using any chemical-based interventions like fertilizer, insecticide, etc. As your objective is to contribute to environmental sustainability, the use of chemical-based substances will obstruct the achievement of the objective.
