Going Wild (plant-wise That Is!)
A wild-flower garden has a most attractive sound
. It conjures images of long tramps in the woods, collecting material, and then having fun planting the specimens you collected where you can see them in your backyard.
However, what was okay in years past, isnt any more. The USDA reports people helping themselves to plants in public lands have actually contributed to the extinction of certain rare species. Because of the increased interest in natural or wild flowers for inclusion in our gardens today, a broad number of growers now make heretofore wild plants readily available.
So, logic and good citizenship suggests the better choice for wild plant gathering is from catalogs online and in the comfort of your own home. Leave the gathering of wild and exotic plants and seeds to the experts like the legendary Dan Hinkley whose fascinating books are available from Amazon.com.
Besides, lots of people say they have no luck at all trying to transplant collected plants.
But, why? It is not a question of luck, but a question of understanding, for wild flowers are like people and each has its personality.
Most plants always desire what they have been accustomed to in Nature. In fact, when removed from their ideal living conditions, they often sicken and die. That should be enough to tell us that we should copy Nature herself (and provides yet another reason to buy rather than collect them).
But, suppose you are hunting wild flowers (tsk,tsk). As you choose certain flowers from the woods, notice the soil they are in, the place, conditions, the surroundings, and the neighbors.
Suppose you find dog-tooth violets and wind-flowers growing near together. You would logically place them together in your own new garden. Suppose you find a certain violet enjoying an open situation; then it should have the same surroundings at home.
If you want flowers to grow in a tame garden make them feel at home. Place them they as close to their native haunts as you can.
Wild flowers should be transplanted after blossoming time is over. Regardless of the source, the bed into which these plants are to go should be prepared carefully. You dont want to bring the plants back just to have them sit around waiting for their new beds. They should go into their new quarters at once.
The bed needs soil similar to what you would have found in the woods, i.e. deep and rich and full of leaf mold. The drainage system should be excellent. That way the plants are not to going into water-logged ground. Some people think that all wood plants should have a soil saturated with water. But the woods themselves are not water-logged. It may be that you will need to dig your garden up more deeply than usual and put some gravel in the bottom to facilitate draining. Next, in goes the top soil. Finally, on top, where the top soil once was, put a new layer of the rich soil youve duplicated from what you would have found in the woods. Any humus-rich soil can substitute.
If you want to have a wild-flower garden that gives you a succession of bloom from early spring to late fall, plant these favorites:
In March, the Hepatica noblis (Liverleaf or liverwort), Claytonia virginica (Spring Beauty) and Saxifrage (This Latin name means stone breaker!)
In April, the beautiful Columbine, the tiny Houstonia caerulea (Bluets) and wild geranium all bloom.
In May, we have the previously mentioned Erythronium (Dog-tooth Violet); Anemone quinquefolia (Wood Anemone); Maianthemum racemosum (False Solomon's Seal); Jack-in-the-Pulpit; Trillium erectum (Wake Robin); Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot); and Violets.
June will give you the Campanula (Bellflower), Verbascum thapsus (Mullein), Monarda (Bee Balm) and Foxglove. By the way, since Mullein is featured in lots of old-time remedies it has lots of common names like Adam's Flannel, Beggar's Blanket, Candlewick Plant, Flannel Mullein, Flannel Plant, Hag's Taper, Jupiter's Staff, Molene, Velvet Dock, Velvet Plant, and Woolly Mullin.
If you have the space, I would choose the gay Asclepias tuberosa
(Butterfly Weed) for July.
Let Chelone glabra (turtle head), Aster, Eutrochium purpureum (Joe Pye Weed) and Queen Anne's Lace make the rest of the season magical until frost.
So who the heck was Joe Pye? Well, it turns out he was an herb doctor in colonial America. Why it has been hung with the unfortunate weed" title is a mystery, because it certainly is not a weed!
So here are a few wild flowers you may want to use in your garden to help bring that naturalized look. As I said, these days you really shouldnt go looking for them in your nearby woods, private or public. These plants can be readily purchased from all kinds of vendors.
Still, the recommendations about soil prep still apply.
Good Luck and Great Gardening,
David Soper
by: David Soper
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