Saturday, May 22, 2010

Wildflower Excitement!!

I am so excited--I had to share my excitement with you! You all know wildflowers are my passion. When we travel, I carry a field guide with me and try to spot and identify as many wildflowers as I can. My dream would be to have my own meadow and have it full of wildflowers nodding their heads in the breeze. As it is, I have no meadow, so I devote a corner of my little backyard to wildflowers. And they have started to bloom. (you never know what will happen when you scatter seeds in fall!)
The clasping coneflowers are starting to..um.."develop."

They don't just bud, then open. They start with a center, then the petals begin to develop until you actually have flowers. So interesting!
When I ordered seeds from the Wildseed Farm, they sent me a free package of mixed seeds, which I just threw out in this bed last fall. I didn't even look closely at what it contained, so I was surprised to see this gaillardia (blanket flower) blooming in this bed! I also see blue cornflowers and I think phlox. Love these kinds of surprises!
But my big exciting moment this week: I was watching this plant grow and grow. Looking at the fern like leaves, I was afraid it was just another cosmos (well, you know how prolific they are!) I scattered seeds for Plains Coreopsis in fall, and was so in hopes that's what it was..and, I was not disappointed! Ohhhh, I was so excited to go out Thursday night and find the buds had opened and it was the cute, cute coreopsis I had been hoping for!
They are tall too, and their heads definitely nod in the breeze. I just love them! Now, this wildflower bed is..well..
wild! It is certainly not a structured showy bed, but it is exactly what I was hoping for. There are still green things coming up too, so I have to be careful not to pull anything up. You never know, you could be pulling up a wildflower beauty!

"May all YOUR weeds be wildflowers!"

17 comments:

JenningsJunk said...

I'm excited with you!! Thanks for sharing :D

Anonymous said...

Ooh I love the color as well as the fern like foliage of that Coreopsis! It reminds me very much of Cosmos, glad it germinated for you. ;)

Meadowview Thymes said...

JJ--tee/hee, you remember how excited I was! :)

Racquel-you never know when you sow seeds of wildflowers what will happen. I think our cold, wet winter helped these along! Yea!! :)

Nola said...

It's just lovely! I adore the look of wildflowers in natural beds, not too overworked, just as nature intended.

Meadowview Thymes said...

Nola--you said it! Just like nature--exactly what I wanted. It would be too unruly for some, but I just love that wild look!
Hey--didn't write much on your blog--but we all know what you are going through. All ladies at one time or another hit that magical age I guess. Lucky me--I hit it a LONG time ago! :)

Lola said...

Looking good. I like the wildflowers.

tina said...

Very neat coreopsis. I really like the contrast of the dark center and yellow outer. Do you know the name? P.S. I'm going outside to let my weeds know they must turn themselves into wildflowers-with a cherry on top. Think they'll listen?:)

Meadowview Thymes said...

Thanks Lola. I LOVE wildflowers!!

Tina--They are just called Plains Coreopsis on the seed packet. I love the contrast too. You know--I am starting to have a real love thing for these coreopsis. They seem happy no matter where you put them.
lol--yes, I think those weeds will listen to you! I have pulled up so many things this year, only to find out they were really wildflowers! Note to self: don't pull up any weeds! :)

Dee @ Red Dirt Ramblings said...

I'm so glad you got the coreopsis you wanted. I loved wildflowers and have a few planted here and there. It is a country garden after all. I find I like their spareness and the airy foliage. Glad you like them too.~~Dee

Susie said...

I'm glad you got the coreopsis you were hoping for Linda. I have those tall rudbeckia. Mine are starting to bloom too!

Anonymous said...

You and me both sister, I just love a meadow full of wildflowers! What a bunch of cuties you have, especially that coreospis.

Meadowview Thymes said...

Dee--A country garden...yes, that is what I love! And maybe that is what started my love of wildflowers. I am loving this wild bed I have more and more every day!

Susie--I am loving these tall flowers!! I sure wish I knew if they lasted all summer. Oh, I hope they do! :)

Robin--I remember you talking about seeing wildflowers on your walks! I am so loving this back bed. More flowers open up everyday. It is sooo exciting!

Roses and Lilacs said...

Your flowers are so pretty. Every year my little wildflower garden grows larger. This year I found a bloodroot and some woodland phlox at a plant swap.
Marnie

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Every time I see a Thunbergia vine flower it reminds me of your picture ! .. That is exciting to see such beautiful wild flowers popping up in your own little space here : ) I love that vision of them in a meadow .. tall .. beautiful flower heads nodding in a gentle breeze .. now that is perfection !
Joy : )

Meadowview Thymes said...

Thanks Marnie. I love my little wildflower garden so much. How cool you are adding to yours. The size can't grow with mine, but I sure plan on adding more flowers! The loss of the trees just killed me..really. I was depressed for weeks. But now I found the silver lining with all this sun! It has been a joy to be able to grow new things! :)

Oh Joy, what a sweet thing to say. Unfortunately, my vine died..but I keep that picture to remember it by. I wanted a (Thungerbia) black-eyed susan vine for so long, then stumbled across one at a garden center one afternnon. It was so pretty for so long, but I think one of our hot, hot summers got it.
I also imagine that field of wildflowers nodding in the breeze.. it's how I go to sleep every night! :)

Brenda Pruitt said...

If only all my weeds were wildflowers! I've been thinking about ordering from this company. Maybe I will for fall. It's already too hot here to do most anything!
Brenda

Meadowview Thymes said...

Brenda--I was thinking yesterday how hot it already is--and humid! Yes, you do plant most wildflower seeds in fall. Order their free catalog. I have never gotten bad seeds from them. I love that place! :)