For residential gardeners, there is nothing more satisfying than sowing plants from seed and nurturing them into mature plants and blooms. A residential gardener can be very successful with many types of plants, especially wildflowers. These natural plants grow in different geographical locations and can be transplanted or grown from seed in your own residential garden. Here are some steps to grow wildflowers in your garden: 

Check Your Geographical Location and Timing - Research the wildflowers that are indigenous to your area to find the type of wildflowers that are successful in your location. Wildflowers in the Northern Hemisphere are most often sown and grown in the autumn. However, if you live in an area that has consistent rainfall and weather that does not greatly vary between seasons, you may be able to sow and grow wildflowers at any time of the year.  

Clear the Ground - Clear a selected garden plot of all other growing grasses and plants to create a space for your wildflower seeds. Dig deep enough to pull up the roots of the existing grasses and plants and discard them. Till the soil with a rake and break up any large clumps of soil so that new wildflower seeds and seedlings can easily push their way through it. 

Choose Your Wildflower Seeds - When choosing wildflower seeds for your garden, consider the following:

• Color - Most wildflowers have subtle colors that blend well together. Choose any wildflower seed that you would like to grow and plant them together in your garden plots, planters, and pots. 
• Height - When planning your residential garden, think about the mature height of the wildflowers that you sow. Place wildflowers of equal height together so they do not block the sun from smaller plants. Sow small wildflower seeds together on the edges of your flower boxes and pots to create a full carpet of wildflowers in your garden.  
• Coexisting Environment - When planning your residential garden, choose wildflower seeds that will have an ample supply of pollen to encourage bees, butterflies, and birds. In this way, you will create a natural habitat that will self-propagate and grow new wildflower plants next season.  

Plant Your Seeds - Prepare, sow, and care for your wildflower seeds as follows: 

• Prepare Your Wildflower Seeds - Mix your wildflower seeds with 10 parts light sand or vermiculite to 1 part wildflower seeds. Blend the seeds well with this planting medium and place the mixture into a large plastic bottle. You can use the spout of the bottle to easily pour your planting mixture where you wish the wildflowers to grow. 
• Sow Your Seeds - Dig small holes, approximately 1 inch wide and 5 inches deep, with a garden awl or wooden dowel. Depending on the type of wildflower seeds you are planting, space the wildflower seeds apart so that the plants will not crowd each other when mature. Immediately after sowing your wildflower seeds, give them a sprinkle of water to encourage them to swell, take root, and grow.    
• Stake Your Plants - Wildflowers often grow in deep forests with plentiful trees, bushes, and rocks. Wildflowers naturally entwine themselves around these uprights to have something sturdy to support their branching systems. When planting wildflowers in your garden, insert stakes into the ground next to the planted seeds to create uprights to encourage your wildflowers to grow.  
• Water and Fertilizer - Make sure that your wildflowers receive adequate water for the first 4 - 6 weeks of growth by keeping them damp but not soaking wet. If you do not have enough water from local rainstorms and humidity in the air, water your seeds and seedlings with a garden hose. Do not fertilize wildflower seeds and plants as they do not have fertilizer in the wild. 

With a little research and well-chosen wildflower seeds, you can easily grow many natural wildflowers in your residential garden. Wildflower gardens are beautiful to watch as they grow and bloom to maturity. Mixed with other cultivated flowers, trees, and plants, wildflowers will add a new dimension to your residential garden and create a natural look and feel. 

Click here for wildflower seed packets or do an online search.