Planting a wildflower garden: Benefits & tips

by Carolyn Kay 08/13/2023

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

Carolyn Kay

As a Real Estate professional, I specialize in helping my clients buy, rent or sell properties in Westchester County. I am passionate, dedicated and committed to my clients and my first priority is to provide them with first class service and guidance throughout the entire process. It has been said that I go above and beyond for my clients to get the deal closed! I have experience working with clients who have financed their purchases with either a conventional, VA or FHA loan and have a good understanding of how they work; no sale is too big or too small for me to take on. My family and I relocated to England for 2 ½ years, this was a wonderful experience but at the same time, it was overwhelming. I have first hand knowledge of the challenges as well as the positives in discovering a new community. I was born and raised in Scarsdale and once married, my husband and I decided to raise our two daughters here. Both of our daughters successfully graduated from the Scarsdale schools and are both married, living and working in Manhattan. After living in the same house for 30 years my husband and I took the leap, sold our home and bought and renovated a condo townhouse in another town. Once again we are discovering a new community and fully understand the highs and lows of selling a home we loved and buying and making a new home. I feel that my personal real estate experiences have made me more in tune with my client’s needs and therefore better able to help them navigate through the complex process. Please call me so that I can put my knowledge and experience to work for you.