A little rain yesterday made this the perfect morning for spreading wildflower seeds in the meadow east of Bluebonnet Cottage.
No big surprise, we love bluebonnets! They’re the state wildflower of Texas and nothing beats a field of those showy purple-blue blossoms on a warm spring day. But having that blooming carpet in the spring means planning ahead in the fall.
I ordered a mix of wildflower seeds from Turner Seed company in Breckenridge, Texas. It’s a family-run company that’s been in business more than 40 years. They also sell seeds for grass and wildlife forage (might add some of that to my next order). Though they have a website, ordering isn’t as simple as clicking a button – you have to call them, but that’s great because you know immediately if they have what you want in stock. Plus, I shopped around and they have the best prices in Texas (maybe because they don’t spend a lot on packaging?)
Their fall wildflower seed mixes are Starburst and a Texas Native mix. The Starburst mix has all 17 of the Texas Native mix varieties, plus seven wildflowers not native to Texas. Since adding color to the meadow is my main goal, I decided having California Poppy, Bachelor’s Button, Corn Poppy, Cosmos, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Moss Verbena and Scarlet Flax included in the mix would be okay. Plus the meadow will be painted with a larger color palette and with any luck should be in bloom from February through December of 2023.
If you’d like to plant wildflowers at your home, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has terrific information resources, including how to Plant a Wildflower Meadow and a Native Plants Database with listings for more than 25,000 native plants so you can pick what will grow best in your specific area.
I look forward to sharing photos of our wildflower meadow with you in the spring!