While the Natural Lands Project (www.washcoll.edu/nlp) typically works with landowners on larger landscapes, creating wildflower meadows and native warm season grasslands for declining grassland birds and pollinators, homeowners with only a small parcel of land can also have a positive impact for our native pollinators. Many of the more charismatic insects, like the Monarch Butterfly, are making headline news with drastic population declines, but all pollinators are in decline and will benefit from making small changes in your yard and adding this native wildflower and grass mix.

Native Wildflower Meadow

 Establishing a Native Wildflower Patch

• Optimal seeding time will be during spring green up.
• Choose an area in your yard that receives a lot of sun.
• Clear the desired area of all vegetation, this can be done using an herbicide or by hand removal of existing vegetation.
• Loosen soil to decrease compaction.
• Spread seed by hand or with a broadcast spreader. Rake in the area to incorporate the seeds into the soil, making sure to have good seed to soil contact. Seeds should be planted approximately 1/4”-1/2” deep.
• Lightly mulch the area with weed-free wheat or straw to help retain moisture.
• Depending on rain fall, watering once a week may be required.
• Sit back and relax. Seeds will germinate in a couple of weeks to a month depending on ground temperature and by mid-summer you should start to see pollinators visiting the flowers.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Monarda fitulosa

Included in the mix: (given out at CES events)Monarda and Bumblebee

Bachelor’s Button Tall (Centaurea cyanus)         

Rocket Larkspur (Delphinium ajacis)

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Bigleaf Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus)

Shasta Daisy (Chrysanthemum maximum)

Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolate)

Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Tall White Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)

Smooth Blue Aster (Aster laevis)

Sweetwilliam (Dianthus barbatus)Partridge Pea

Marsh Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)

Mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum)

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnate) 

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) 

Plains Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)

Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)

Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas)

Orange Coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida)

Eastern Columbine (Aquilegia Canadensis)

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

Whorled Rosinweed (Silphium trifoliatum)Butterfly Weed

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Riverbank Wildrye (Elymus riparius)

Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)

 

This seed mix was purchased at Ernst Conservation Seed, LLC - www.ernstseed.com/

Skipper and Monarda fitulosa