SEEDS
NATIVE WILDFLOWER SEED MIX
Lottie's Garden custom blend of 12 perennial flowers that are native to Northern Indiana and are beneficial to many different types of pollinators.
Provides a succession of colorful blooms from May through October.
-Easy to grow
-Deer resistant
-Drought tolerant
-2ft to 4ft tall
-Medium to dry soil
-At least 6 hours of sun per day
Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea)
Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta)
Lance Leaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)
Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum)
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea)
Rose Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Stiff Goldenrod (Oligoneuron rigidum)
Trumpet Penstemon (Penstemon tubaeflorus)
Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
HOW TO GROW
Seeds are packed in vermiculite for more even distribution.
Store in a cool, dry, dark place.
When to Plant
Anytime from mid October through early March. Seeds need to go through a period of stratification, aka the cold/wet conditions of winter. If planting after early March, you can fake these conditions by slightly moistening the seed mix and place it in refrigerator for 30-60 days before planting.
Site Preparation
Seeds should be planted on a flat, bare area with exposed soil. Grass, weeds and mulch will need to be removed before planting. Areas of existing lawn need to be removed via sod removal, tilling, solarization, smothering or herbicide.
How to Plant
Evenly scatter mix across the area. Seeding rate is approximate. Planting too dense can cause leggy, crowded plants. Planting too sparse can allow too many weeds to outcompete young seedlings. Seeds should not be covered with soil or raked in. Very lightly water the area to help the seeds contact the soil and keep them from blowing away. If planting in winter, watering is not necessary as natural snowfall will help keep seeds in place.
Maintenance
Be patient! These plants can take 2-3 years to mature/bloom. But then you'll be rewarded with year after year of beautiful flowers! Although native plants are low maintenance once established, they will do best when given extra care when getting started. Don't stress if the area looks sparse early on, as germination and growth can be slow to get going.
Watering seeds over winter is not necessary. Providing occasional deep watering to seedlings during the first and second growing seasons can help them thrive and develop the deep root system needed to tolerate drought conditions when mature.
Weed control is very important early on to make sure seedlings don't get overtaken. In small areas, weeds can be carefully removed by hand (make sure to ID the native seedlings first!). For larger areas, you can mow or weedwhack the entire area, including the natives! For the first year, mow the area each time the weeds reach 8-10" tall, cutting them back to around 4-5" tall. In the second year, only mow if necessary and don't cut as short.