wildflower seeds to attrack birds bees butterflies etc. lol

[addy1]

Country we were stealing that thread so starting a new one to explore this subject.

Addy, I looked on the seed I got in the bargain box at the end of this year ($1 per box, each seeds a 750 sq ft area) and both of them just say perennial or cottage garden, and the types of seeds, most of which I have no idea what they are, so I have no idea if they will attract birds, etc. Do you know what types of flowers the finch are attracted to that you have noticed? I could then look to see if that flower is included. My plan is to put a 3-5' strip along my back yard line between the yard and the horse pasture, and see how it goes. If it gets full of weeds, I can mow it down. If it is pretty, I'll have it for years to come, and can do it again in another area with whichever one I prefer.

Here is what is in my mix. It is a combination of annual's and perennials. The back field has been struggling it has been so dry in the summer, on a hill, lousy soil. But it is blooming. The wildflowers near the garage are on their 3 year, it is fun to see what comes up, it blooms constantly all summer.


Calendula officinalis Calendula Annual Mixed 24" Spring/Summer/Fall Centaurea cyanus Cornflower / Bachelor Button Annual Blue 35" Spring/Summer Cheiranthus allionii Siberian Wallflower Perennial Orange 18" Spring Chrysanthemum maximum Shasta Daisy Perennial White 48" Summer Coreopsis lanceolata Lance-Leaf Coreopsis Perennial Yellow 48" Summer/Fall Coreopsis tinctoria Plains Coreopsis Annual Yellow/Red 30" Summer/Fall Cosmos sulphureus Sulphur Cosmos Annual Mixed 33" Summer/Fall Cosmos bipinnatus Cosmos Annual Red/Pink/White 47" Summer/Fall Delphinium consolida Larkspur Giant Imperial Mixture Annual Blue/White/Pink 35" Spring/Summer/ Dianthus barbatus Sweet William Biennial Red/White 20" Spring/Summer Echinacea purpurea Purple Coneflower Perennial Purple 36" Summer/Fall Eschscholzia californica California Poppy Annual Orange 18" Spring/Summer Gaillardia aristata Blanket Flower Perennial Yellow/Red 30" Summer/Fall Gypsophila elegans Baby's Breath Annual White 28" Spring/Summer Helianthus annuus Dwarf Sunflower Sunspot Annual Yellow/Brown Center 16" Summer/Fall Iberis umbellata Candytuft Annual Mixed 12" Spring/Summer Lavatera trimestris Rose Mallow Annual Mixed 47" Summer/Fall Linum grandiflorum rubrum Scarlet Flax Annual Red 24" Spring/Summer Linum perenne lewisii Blue Flax Perennial Blue 24" Summer/Fall Lupinus perennis Lupine Perennial Blue 36" Spring/Summer Nigella damascena Love In A Mist Annual Mixed 20" Spring/Summer Nemophila menziesii Baby Blue Eyes Annual Blue 9" Spring/Summer Papaver rhoeas Red Poppy/Shirley Poppy Annual Mixed 36" Spring/Summer Ratibida columnaris Mexican Hat Perennial Red/Yellow 36" Summer/Fall Rudbeckia gloriosa Gloriosa Daisy Perennial Yellow/Brown 36" Summer/Fall Rudbeckia hirta Black Eyed Susan Perennial Yellow/Orange 30" Summer/Fall Silene armeria Catchfly Annual Pink 36" Summer


I also used this mixture for a different clump of wildflowers, more of a native northeast flower group.



quilegia canadensis Eastern Red Columbine Asclepias incarnata Red Milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Weed Aster novae-angliae New England Aster Chamaecrista fasciculata Partridge Pea Coreopsis lanceolata Lance leaf Coreopsis Eupatorium maculatum Spotted Joe Pye Weed Gaillardia pulchella Indian Blanket Heliopsis helianthoides Ox-Eye Sunflower Liatris spicata Blazing Star Lupinus perennis Wild Perennial Lupine Monarda fistulosa Wild Bergamot Oenothera biennis Evening primrose Penstemon digitalis Beard Tongue Rudbeckia hirta Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia submentosa Sweet Coneflower Rudbeckia triloba Brown-eyed Susan Solidago rigida Rigid Goldenrod


Then of course the seed mix for hummingbird and bees.


Callistephus chinensis China Aster Annual Mixed 36" Summer/Fall Cynoglossum amabile Chinese Forget me Not Annual Blue 24" Spring/Summer Cosmos bipinnatus Cosmos Annual Red/Pink/White 47" Summer/Fall Delphinium ajacis Larkspur Annual White/Pink/Blue 36" Summer Echinacea purpurea Purple Coneflower Perennial Purple 36" Summer/Fall Gypsophila elegans Baby's Breath Annual White 28" Spring/Summer Lavatera trimestris Rose Mallow Annual Mixed 47" Summer/Fall Linaria maroccana Baby Snapdragon Annual Mixed 20" Spring/Summer Lupinus succulentus Arroyo Lupine Annual Blue 48" Spring/Summer Monarda citriadora Lemon Mint Annual Pink/Purple 31" Summer Papaver rhoeas Red Poppy/Shirley Poppy Annual Mixed 36" Spring/Summer Rudbeckia hirta Black Eyed Susan Biennial Yellow/Orange 30" Summer/Fall Salvia coccinea Scarlet Sage Perennial Red 24" Summer/Fall Silene armeria None So Pretty Annual Pink 36" Summer Trifolium incarnata Crimson Clover Annual Red 30" Summer Tropaeoleum nanum Nasturtium Annual Mixed 18" Summer/Fall


The far field wildflowers (I think it was the gloriosa daisy and black eyed susan) was a bunch of orange daisy type flowers. The finches went insane about them. The finches are fun to watch hanging upside down on the sunflowers picking out the seeds, they like the cone flowers and daisy's I have near the pond. The sunflowers have to be near the house otherwise the deer eat all the leaves before they can even bloom.

Take the area you want to make into a flower field, kill the grass weeds etc with round up. till, dig up turn the soil until you have bare dirt. I mix the seed with sand to help with the spreading of it, after you spread it, mash down into the dirt by walking on it, or use a piece of plywood, put the wood down and step on it over and over until the seed is mashed in a little. You do not want to cover the seed with dirt, it does best laying on top of the soil.

I usually do this in the fall once we are in the freezing mode, so the seed will not spout. It gives it a better start in the spring. Or you can do in the spring, but then if dry you need to water off and on, until the plants are around 5 inches tall, then they are on their own. I spread the seed in a dense mode, have not needed to weed any of the flower fields since put in.

This is the one that has been going for 3 years. Never know what color it will be, just starting the season blooming

 

[CountryEscape]

Wow, Addy, this is beautiful! I had no idea that putting it in this fall might be a possibility. I think I will wait until spring, though, since I can't imagine putting seed in the ground when it's cold outside. LOL My luck, I would get a few 60-70 degree days, the seeds would sprout, and then I'd have nothing next spring. Today it was 60 at 8 a.m.! Tomorrow it may only get up to 30 ... I don't like the swing in temps.
OK, so you got my intrigued with my flower mixtures, since the first 2 "ingredients" were not on your list that I noticed. This is my box of "Perennial Garden". Guess they were listed differently, as the first one is:
Yellow Yarrow, fern leafed type, and the second one is
Purple Columbine (aquilegia vulgaris). Why don't they just say purple columbine. LOL
Centaurea Cyanus" and Wikipedia says it is an "annual cornflower". Now, why would they put the 3rd most seed of an annual??? Cheiranthus is pretty, although it says cheiranthus allionii, and that was not found in Wiki. Moved on to a Wild Flower Seed site - Wallflowers.
Shasta Daisy, which I'm familiar with.
Two different Coreopsis - Lanceolata and Tinctoria. Evidently these are yellow and yellow with red center coreopsis. Pretty! Dianthus Barbatus - deep reddish Sweet William.
Purple Foxglove - Digitalis Purpurea.
Purple coneflower.
Gaillardia Aristata - Blanketflower, yellow with red centers, in the sunflower family.
Pulchella variety - Indian blanketflower - pink with yellow tips to the flowers.
Gypsophila Elegans - fancy name for "showy baby's breath".
Liatris Spicata - this is a flower I saw on the roadside, wanted to dig up. Purple spike of a flower. Says good to attract birds and butterflies.
Another annual - Scarlet Flax, right before the
Linum perenne - blue flax.
Lotus Corniculatus - Birdsfoot Trefoil.
Blue lupine. L
ychnis Chalcedonica - Dusky Salmon - another wild flower I've seen growing along the interstate, wanted to dig up.
Oenothera Lamarckiana - Evening Primrose.
Papaver Rhoeas - Red Poppy (Woohoo!)
Ratibida Columnifera - Upright coneflower or Mexican Hat.
Rudbeckia Amplexicaulis - Clasping Coneflower (petals "grasp" the stem", centers are dark and stick straight up).
Rudbeckia Hurta - black eyed susan.
Saponaria Ocymoides - Rock Soapwart. Looks like I could use some of these in my waterfall area.
OK, that's one of my boxes. Thanks for starting this thread, Addy. Maybe more will get some good out of it come next spring. Going to list the seeds in the other box next.

 

[CountryEscape]

The second box is called "Cottage Garden" and has the following seeds:

Adonis Aestivalis - Summer Pheasant's Eye - looks similar to black eyed susan, but with ferny looking leaves. Dark gold petals with burgandy center.
Calendula Officinalis - Pot Marigold , yellow flower, says it is short lived and very aromatic.
Centaurea Cyanus mix - Cornflower or Batchelor's Button. Since it says "mix" I'll assume a variety of colors.
Cheiranthus Cheiri mix - Wallflower, herb with colors of yellows to reds and purples in the flower
Chrysanthemum Shasts Daisy - White flower, yellow center
Coreopsis Tinctoria mix - Yellow flowers with maroon or brown centers, 12-40" tall
Cosmos Bipinnatus - Cosmos or Mexican Aster - Flowers in shades of pink and purple, sometimes white, fine threadlike foliage, 2-4' tall
Delphinium Consolida mis - Forking Larkspur - purple flowers, 12-31" tall, roots go 20" deep, very drought resistant.
Dianthus Barbatus mix - Sweet William
Digitalis Purpurea - Purple Foxglove - short lived flower perennial
Echinacea Purpurea - Purple Coneflower
Eschscholzia Californica - California Poppy - yellow to orange flowers, close at night and in cold or windy weather, or when cloudy
Gysophila Elegans White - Baby's Breath
Linum Perenne - Perennial Flax or Blue Flax - lacy leaves
Lupinus Perenne - Blue Lupine - spike flower cluster. Interesting fact - burning off the area helps it to germinate as it needs extreme temps (hot/cold) to germinate.
Papaver Rhoeass - Red Poppy
Rudbeckia Hirta - Black Eyed Susan ... once again at the end of the list, so hoping there is plenty seed as these will be beautiful in the assortment.

Sorry I've taken up lots of space. Hope others will see what they want and look closer at the packaging. I sure learned a lot sitting here typing the scientific names and comparing them with the common names.

Pattoi

 

[addy1]

They always add a lot of annual seeds to get "instant" color i.e. the annuals come up fast, bloom fast while the perennials get going. A lot of the annuals will come back from their seed, each year

 

[CountryEscape]

Oh, I never thought of that, Addy. Great news! And, I know some say annual, but they also mention them reseeding themselves, so I guess they are kind of multi-purpose. Thanks for pointing that out!