As shown by their names, wildflowers are obviously the type of plants that grow in the wild by their own. And because they have been surviving and growing by themselves in the wild environment for so long they are able to grow without people looking after them or helping them during their growth process. The wildflowers that can be found in our country are known as "natives" and those that can be found in other continents and countries are widely known as "naturalized". This article is written to provide readers basic information on taking care of their wildflower plants the right way.

1.Definition of wildflower categories

There are basically three types of wildflowers, namely annuals, perennials and biennials. Annual flower seeds such as red poppy, cornflower and cosmos, normally sprout, grow, bloom and die quickly. Perennial flower seeds such as daisy, lance-leaf coreopsis and dames rocket, are slower to sprout, grow and start blooming in the second year onwards. Biennials, such as Queen Annes lace, native Black-eyed Susan and Sweet William, are somewhere between the first two types. Biennials germinate in the first year, bloom in the second year and then wither away.

2.Time period for planting

In a tropical climate, planting wild flower seeds just before the rainy season will ensure the seeds get plenty of moisture in order to sprout. In places with four seasons, fall and spring planting can be equally successful.

3.The best location to make the garden bed

You may want to plant a big area or just a small section of wildflowers. Choose a sunny spot with good drainage. Wildflowers love a great deal of sunlight.

4.Picking the right soil

Wildflowers are capable of living in any type of conditions, including the condition of the loam, so it is good enough to just use the earth in your existing garden or backyard. However, if you find the chosen site lacking of nutrients, which you can notice by observing the number of weed and grass growing on the site is little, then it is better if you try to find a more suitable earth.

5.Before planting the seeds - the soil

Before you actually plant the seeds you must check the loam at your garden bed to see its condition. If you find the loam too sandy and too loose for your wildflower seeds, then you can add compost heap so that the earth loam can capture enough moisture for the wildflowers. Instead, if you find the loam is too compact, then you can add some sand to loosen it up so that the moisture can be kept.

6.Before planting the seeds- the surface of the soil

The dirt and soil on the chosen grounds for your wildflower seeds would need to be loosen and any small plants that have been growing there would need to be cleared of before actually planting the wildflower seeds. Basically the garden tool you need is the shovel. Make sure that the garden bed is flat and there is no more grass and weed roots inside the earth. Make an effort to remove the big rocks but leave the smaller rocks there if you want to since it would not cause the wildflowers any serious harm.

7.Fertilizing

The usage of fertilizers and compost is needless since wildflowers are built to survive any condition or environment. If you really wish to use some type of fertilizers for your wildflowers, then choose a fertilizer that contains the less nitrogen. Spread it evenly and then you plant the seeds so that the seeds can fully utilize the nutrient.

8.The quantity of seeds needed for plantation

If you want the flowers to be filling the garden at its peak capacity, then it is recommended that you plant up to two or three times more than the normal wildflower seeds coverage quantity. But always remember putting too much seeds in the land would create too much competition for nutrient and water, so do not go past the limit.

9.Sowing the seeds

After that, just use your own hand or any relevant equipment you can find to spread the mix evenly around your chosen garden site. For the remaining seeds just repeat the steps, just that the second time around spread the wildflower seeds in a different direction from the first time. By doing this you will be sure that there will be no empty spots left on the site. Including the sand in the seed mixture would help ensure the even spreading of the seeds in the garden.

10.Compressing the wildflower seeds

After the seeds are sown, compress them into the soil but do not rake or cover them up. If you have a large site, a lawn mower usually does the trick. If the site is small, simply walk over the area will do. Compressing the seeds is important for successful seed germination.

11.Waiting for the wildflowers to grow

As wildflowers are the same as other flower species, they each take their own different time to germinate. Some species might only need slightly more than a week while some might need few months.

12.Moisture level of the loam

When the seeds are in the germinating process, sufficient moisture is very important so that the new plants can grow well. For it to grow in a good environment make sure the moisture level is sustained throughout the first four to six weeks in the garden soil. When you see the wildflowers growing up, then you can slowly reduce the water amount in the garden.

13.The correct mulching process

The mulching process would help the wildflowers stay healthy and grow better since covering the garden bed with mulch will help capture the moisture in the land and keep it therefore the wildflowers. Using organic materials such as Bark chips, unwanted leaves or peat moss as the cover material is suitable for the garden.

14.Clearing unwanted plants

As your wildflower seeds start to grow, weeds may come up together with them. While the weeds would not harm the wildflowers, you may want to tidy up the flowerbed by pulling the weeds out.

15.Animal threats

If your newly sown wildflower bed is attracting unwanted guests such as birds, scare them away if you can. Otherwise, just let them be. They usually do not cause much damage.

16.The beginning of the peak time

Take pictures!

17.Pruning

Pruning encourages new blooms. For a more luxuriant look, try pinching the tops.

18.Reseeding

After the full bloom period, allow the seeds at least two weeks to mature. Once the seeds are hardened and turned into brown or black, cut and leave them on the ground for reseeding.

19.Matching the various wildflowers

It is better if you are able to grow the wildflowers that go well with each other in terms of their design and their colors. Besides that, using green grass as undergrowth will add even better colors to the overall environment of the garden.

20.Keeping the leftover seeds

For the flower seed that was not planted, then keep them stored in a cool, dry place where there is no direct sunlight. The wildflower seeds can be kept for as long as a year to five years, depending on their type.