A Time to Sow

The long-awaited return of rain gives promise of a banner year for native wildflowers throughout San Diego County. What better way to celebrate our wonderful natural heritage than to plant a patch of native wildflowers in your garden?

Pick up a packet of mixed California native wildflower seeds from a local nursery, and sprinkle the seeds liberally wherever you have a little bare ground. A gentle raking of the soil before and after sowing can help the seeds find purchase with the ground and improve the odds of germination. Make sure your planting area gets some decent exposure to the sun each day (at least when the skies aren’t cloudy), and let Mother Nature take care of the rest. Come April and May there’s a good chance you’ll be rewarded with a delightful showing of California poppies, lupine, baby blue-eyes, and other assorted goodies. After the blooms fade, harvest the seeds to repeat the magic next year.