Let’s face it: maintaining a grass lawn is a chore. Not only does it demand frequent watering, it also needs to be cut regularly and often requires pesticides to keep up that pristinely green look. Enter: wildflower gardens, the perfect low-maintenance, low-cost solution that looks effortlessly charming and provides a nurturing habitat for pollinators like butterflies, bees and even hummingbirds. The best part is, wildflowers are hardy and can thrive in conditions that many other plants wouldn’t stand a chance in, so even if you don’t have much of a green thumb, this is the garden project for you. Read on for our best wildflower garden ideas to get you started.
Related: The Best Ways to Pull Off a No-Grass Backyard
Find a Sunny Patch
Most wildflowers need at least six hours of sun per day to thrive, so identifying the sunniest spot in your garden is key to starting your wildflower garden off on the right note. This could be a whole front yard or the border of a sidewalk, depending on the light your outdoor space gets. There’s no patch too big or small for wildflowers, so get creative!
Prep Your Space
Like in any other garden, weeds can quickly overrun a wildflower garden, so it’s important to thoroughly weed the area you plan on planting your wildflowers in to give them a nurturing place to grow. Once the weeds have been removed, you can evaluate your soil: wildflowers require much less soil prep than other plants, but you’ll want to loosen up the soil so that the roots of your wildflower seeds can penetrate it — you can easily do this with a hand rake. While wildflowers do tend to thrive in most soil conditions, if you really want to ensure wildflower garden success, you can test your soil’s pH to see if you should be adding any fertilizer or compost to help balance out its acidity before planting.
Related: Try These DIY All-Natural Weed Killers (They’re Safe for Pets and Children!)
Choose Your Wildflowers
It may seem like a no-brainer, but choosing wildflower seeds or plants that are native to your region is the best way to guarantee your wildflower garden’s success. Think of it as giving your wildflowers the home court advantage. They’ll be predisposed to thrive in that environment, which ultimately makes your work as a gardener even easier. While there isn’t necessarily any harm in buying those colourful wildflower mixes you see everywhere, there’s a higher chance that those seeds won’t take. Here’s what to plant based on where you are in Canada:
Ontario: Coneflowers, wild bergamot, Canada goldenrod, purple-stemmed aster, swamp milkweed
Quebec: Common milkweed, pearly everlasting, heart-leaved aster, hairy beardtongue, seaside goldenrod
Prairies (Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan): Blanket flower, common yarrow, showy milkweed, Prairie goldenrod, purple Prairie clover
Atlantic Canada (PEI, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador): Canada goldenrod, fireweed, New England aster, Joe Pye weed, swamp milkweed
British Columbia: Douglas aster, goldenrod, Pacific dogwood, pearly everlasting, Rocky Mountain juniper
Related: 17 Beautiful Native Canadian Plants to Grow by Province
Get Planting
Once you’ve prepped your wildflower beds and purchased the seeds or plants, it’s time to get planting. Generally it’s recommended to plant in the spring, but don’t worry if you’re getting a later start in the summer or early fall. The main thing to keep in mind is that your seeds or plants will need time to establish themselves, so be sure to plant at least eight to 10 weeks before any potential frost. Follow the instructions on your seed or plant, and if using seeds, keep the soil moist as they start to grow, as seeds need a lot of water during germination to sprout into seedlings.
Low-Maintenance Care
Once your wildflower garden is in full swing, it won’t need much maintenance from you. Simply water your garden during dry periods, deadhead any flowers (AKA remove any dead blooms) and keep an eye out for any pesky weeds that could take over your garden — the good news is that gradually this will become less of a concern as your wildflowers begin to grow more densely and fill up any empty space.
Whether you’re eager to make your own wildflower bouquets, provide pollinators with a sweet home or just cutback on lawn care, creating a wildflower garden is a simple way to inject your outdoor space with beauty.
Read more: 10 Tropical Plants That Will Thrive in Canadian Gardens
