My Blog List

Thursday, June 17, 2021

OUR WILDFLOWER MEADOW

I don't even have enough time to deal with everything in my inside gardens and outside gardens without venturing onto the septic field. But about 4 years go I decided I really wanted to have that wildflower meadow I should have had 21 years ago. That was when I bought a Texas wildflower and grass meadow mix from Native American seed. It was to go in the tank when they sprayed the cover on the septic field. When I came over the next day there sat the 2 bags by the garage, unopened. There was nothing in their spray tank but left over Bermuda which is what began to take hold within weeks. We tried to get rid of it and then put down our seed but it was to no avail. Weeds came and in the end David just decided to mow. It looked fine. Still I had that hankering to have the meadow. Five years ago David began mowing and collecting, the idea being to reduce the fertility of the soil. No more mulch mowing. I scattered left over bluebonnet seeds from the garden as well as blanket flowers. 

 

 

Bluebonnets are now gone, but a year ago native bee balm, Monarda citriodora,  started to grow and has really increased in numbers this year. I am so happy to have the purple one because at the top of the lot, near the road there are some white ones. This is hands dwon my favorite after the bluebonnet whihc is good because they don't share the same season.

And they are not called bee balm for nothing.


While I control the pink evening primrose, Oenothera speciosa, in my inside gardens, I am more than happy for it to spread outside.

 And prairie verbena, Glandularia bipinnatifida,  is a welcome plant.

Coreopsis, Coreopsis tinctoria, has started to bloom. Small plants at the moment but I am hoping next year their see will spread just as it does along the roadsides.

And this rather unusual one has popped up.

Tall vervain

Surprisingly the blanket flowers, Gaillardia grandiflora,  struggle to survive as the they seem to be a favorite of the deer.

The first year we made a path alongside the septic field we had an amazing showing of Mexican hats, Ratibida columnifera. They were all different shades of yellow and brown. Some solid some mixed colors. Maybe the conditions were just perfect, never to be repeated. But one or two this year. All the yellow variety. 

Horse herb or straggler daisy, Calyptocarpus vialis, soveres much of the shady area of the field but is nmaking headroads into the center. Maybe due to long days of rain and cloud. I think it will go dormant now we are well into summer temperatures. 

And it is no surprise that our native lantana, Lantana urticoides. I will be watching out for the pink variety  Lantana camara, which is invasive. 

This year finds me very happy about how the wildflower meadow is coming along. And we haven't had to mow yet. That will be done in the fall.

21 comments:

  1. How lovely and exciting to watch it grow and change.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. It is so gratifying to see so many new flowers this year.

      Delete
  2. That's such a reward after so many years of wanting it. Your wildflowers are lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  3. How rewarding after so many years of wanting the meadow. Your wildflowers are lovely!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It has been a long wait. I just hope it keeps improving.

      Delete
  4. I also started a wildflower meadow in our upper pasture three years ago. It is finally starting to come into its own. You were smart to put yours over the septic system. I love Mexican hat and the coreopsis. Thank you for helping the bees!~~Dee

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You will know how difficult it si to get it going. Maybe you already had a few flowers as it was a meadow. OUrs was basically a wasteland after the build but I live in hope I cna keep it this way.

      Delete
    2. I think you can Jennie. Mine was basically a mowed wasteland, but I was thrilled this spring/summer with Castilleja coccinea, Indian paintbrush, showed up. Since it's parasitic to the grass, it will help keep some of that down. It is so hard to start a meadow, but so worth it.

      Delete
  5. I love the ease of your garden. I wish more people knew the effort and planning it takes to create that "effortless" feel to it. Looks so peaceful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh! Yes. So much work but gives so much pleasure and has done for so many. So much pleasure from watching the birds and bees.

      Delete
  6. I have heard it takes time to establish a meadow. What a reward!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just have high hopes that we are really winning and that it wasn't just a good weather year.Not much rain opver winter but lots a month ago.

      Delete
  7. Have you written any detailed posts about how to make your own meadow? I couldn't find any in your archives but maybe I missed it.
    We decided to let a part of our yard just grow last year & this year I think I'd like to encourage some wildflowers. Any advice you have would be very welcomed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No . I’m afraid I haven’t. It would have been a good idea to keep a record but for those years mowing there wasn’t much to see. I did quite a bit of pulling of one plant in particular- the Maltese thistle. I don’t know how it was introduced but there is only one way to deal with it and that is pull. Apart from that I threw out extras of my bluebonnets and blanket flowers and corn poppies. All grown rather small compared with in my garden. I would dearly love to confine all those plants out there but they just won’t go. We have deer but I think they only browse the blanket flowers. The important thing is getting rid of invasive grasses and soil fertility. It will die back in the summer but that is fine.

      Delete
  8. You're off to a very good start, Jenny! I'd love to have a meadow, although I don't have the space you do. If only I could corral the ivy on the back slope...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I would stick with the ivy. Probably less work and stays green I imagine. I am remembering a photo of a nasturtium bank. I tried them again this year. They don’t like winter and they don’t like summer either!

      Delete
  9. I have TONS of blanket flower and Mexican Hats... do you want some more seeds? I didn't know that pink lantana was invasive but the yellow was not... good to know as I've had both pop up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes. Please save some seeds for me when they ripen. I will go out and pick some seeds from the Barbara's buttons for you. They should be ripe enough now.

      Delete
  10. I am constantly blown away by the wildflower diversity in this country! I learn of so many new wildflowers from you Texas gardeners. I'd love it if ratibida self-sowed for me. I did get some Coreopsis tinctoria, and I see it in gardens up and down the street too. Wildflower meadows seem to take a lot of patience, from what I've read. Great work!

    ReplyDelete
  11. How wonderful this is! I've just shared with a viewer looking for septic field plant ideas.

    ReplyDelete
  12. It looks lovely! Good ideda!

    ReplyDelete

I love your comments unless they are spam comments which will always be removed in comment moderation.