Garden time : Wildflowers

This Tuesday its all about Wildflowers….. The 2nd week of May we celebrate : Wildflowers . Why plant them and why they are good for the Earth….

Love is like a Wildflower…..It’s often found in the most unlikely places. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Once upon a time, every single flower in the world was a wildflower. Wildflowers are as much the heartbeat of our planet as the oceans. All living creatures interact with wildflowers whether they know it or not. For 130 million years, wildflowers have blessed the earth with their amazing skill sets and stunning beauty – absolutely free of charge! But what do we really know about them beyond those Sunday drives into the country where we marvel at their colors and variety and maybe stop to pick a bouquet to take home?

Wildflowers are, without exaggeration, the unsung heroes of the planet; they are a powerful force that truly sustains a complex web of interdependent creatures. Without wildflowers our planet would not only be a sadder place, but life as we know it would not exist. You won’t ever catch wildflowers bragging about their accomplishments. They go about their business quietly, unnoticed and largely unobserved. But what work they do! I think o

Texas Bluebonnets :

Lupinus texensis, the Texas bluebonnet or Texas lupine is a species of lupine endemic to Texas, plus the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. With other related species of lupines also called bluebonnets, it is the state flower of Texas.

My backyard:

Benefits of Growing Wildflowers :

• Natural and low maintenance

Attractive to beneficial insects.

Good for the environment.

Food source for wildlife (and us too). Wildflower plants in the landscape help provide both food and shelter for many types of bird species and other wildlife. But that’s not all. We, humans, use many of them too. From seeds or tubers that we eat to oil, dyes or fibers for products we need, wildflowers are important.

Wildflowers are a great idea, but ONLY if they’re planted responsibly. Avoid those mixed seed packets, and only plant flowers you know are meant for your area. They’re wildflowers, after all – you should want them to be as natural as possible.