Most wildflowers that we sow from seed are annuals. And what exactly are annuals? They are plants that complete their entire life cycle -- germinating, flowering, setting seed, and dying -- in less than a year. I like to think of annuals as commitment-free fun -- you can remove them once they've completed their life cycle, so they don't require the forethought and long-term planning that planting a shrub or a tree does.
In addition to providing almost-instant gratification by providing a glorious display within a few short months, sowing annual wildflowers can be an effective way to fill the "holes" in a young garden. Are your baby shrubs looking sparse? Toss out some wildflower seed this fall and with a little rain your garden will be full of flowers in the spring.
And there are more benefits of growing annuals from seed in your garden:
- Wallet-friendly: Growing plants from seed is less expensive than buying the plants from a nursery
- Lazy gardener-friendly: No need to dig a hole and carefully transplant your new garden additions. Mix your seeds with some soil to ensure more even distribution, and toss them around, and water them now and again if rains are infrequent or late in coming.
- Lazy gardener-friendly again: Many weeds are annuals that take advantage of open places in our gardens. Fill that niche with the wildflowers and they'll provide some competition for the weeds that would otherwise have free rein in that space.
California poppies are perhaps the most instantly recognizable of California's annual wildflowers, but there are so many others to enjoy; bird's eye gilia is pictured above, and just to mention a few of the more the fancifully-named specimens, you can grow tidy tips, chinese houses, meadowfoam and baby blue eyes in your garden. Experiment and have fun!
