Top 5 Gardening Questions Answered

by Amanda

Each day, we hear from hundreds of gardeners across the country with a variety of planting and general gardening questions. We asked our customer service team to compile the top 5 most-asked customer questions for us to answer. The questions and answers are below. We hope you enjoy (and learn something)!

I like perennials because they come back year after year, but I'm also looking for quick color this season with annuals. What types of Wildflowers should I plant?

This is a common question we get from first-time Wildflower gardeners. Due to this frequent request, we've specially formulated dozens of regional and special-use mixtures that contain a variety of annuals and perennials, for blooms in the first season and each year after that. To view all of our mixtures, click here.

Do I cover my Wildflower Seeds after I plant?

Many are used to digging a hole, planting their plant or bulb and then covering it with soil. Thus, we always get the question: "Do I cover my Wildflower Seeds after I plant?" The answer is no. Wildflower Seeds need plenty of sun to grow and will not germinate if covered by any soil at all. We recommend simply pressing the seeds down into the soil by walking on them or using a roller (depending on the size of the area) and giving them plenty of water in the beginning stages of growth.

What do I do with my Wildflowers at the end of the season?

In the fall, once all of your Wildflowers have died back and aren't growing anymore, we recommend mowing them down as you would a grass lawn. This helps for some of the annuals to re-seed naturally and also gives some food for the birds!

Will this grow in my area?

This question is typically about Wildflower Seeds but is also asked about Perennial Plants and Bulbs. There are really two parts to answering this question. Before we get into hardiness zones, soil types and water requirements, the most basic way to answer this question is with another question: What is currently growing in the area you want to plant? If there's something growing in the area, this means your soil is viable and you will be able to grow Wildflowers or other Plants there.

Once this question is answered, there is the matter of hardiness zone, sun requirements, soil type and water accessability. Wildflowers will grow almost anywhere, they just require as much sun as possible and some water in the beginning stages of growth. Perennials and Bulbs, however, have light, zone, and soil requirements. You can find your hardiness zone here and each variety on our site lists its sunlight, soil, and other preferences.

I got ahead of myself and bought plants and bulbs too early to plant in my area. What do I do with them until I can plant?

If you have perennial or annual plants, keep them lightly watered in a sunny window until it's time to plant. For bulbs and bareroots, store them in a cool, dark, dry place until it's time to plant. Wildflower seed can also be stored in a cool, dark, dry place until it's time to plant.