WILDFLOWER GARDEN IS EASY, AND REWARDS CAN LAST FOR YEARS

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 7, 1993                   TAG: 9303050408
SECTION: BETTER HOMES                    PAGE: BH-22   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By JOANNE ANDERSON
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
WILDFLOWER GARDEN IS EASY, AND REWARDS CAN LAST FOR YEARS
Once the techniques of growing wildflowers are understood and implemented, the garden itself is a dream spelled l-o-w m-a-i-n-t-e-n-a-n-c-e. With some good planning, a little work and patience, the beauty and rewards of a wildflower garden can last for years.
Wildflowers do well in less than ideal conditions. They normally grow in non-fertilized soil, taking sun as it shines and water as it rains. Many compete with other vegetation for their vitality, so they are not as fussy as some of the cultivated flowers.
There are two ways to begin planning a wildflower area. The first is to plan the garden for an area that already closely matches a natural habitat. This can be a woodland setting, a meadow, or a water area like a pond or stream bank.
The alternative is to create the environment for the species you want. Of course, this is difficult with the woodland setting because it takes years for trees to grow, but shade and moisture are the primary elements, and that can be replicated.
Clearing to make a meadow and building a pond are very feasible ways to alter a section of property to reflect a natural environment.

WOODLAND GARDEN.
This is a wooded space characterized by trees, so wildflowers which thrive here do not require abundant sunshine. They have deeper roots than their meadow counterparts and require more moisture. A woodland environment can be created on the north side of a building or any predominantly shady area.
The first step is soil preparation to approximate nature's own. "Well-oxygenated soil rich in organic matter is ideal," says Dr. Robert Lyons, associate professor at Virginia Tech's Horticulture Department. "Leaves and compost should be worked into the ground about 8-10 inches deep. Peat moss and sand will enhance soil in the absence of compost."
Mosses, pine needles, fallen bark and leaves insulate the ground in the woodland, helping to retain moisture, inhibit weed growth, maintain moderate ground temperatures and, over time, they decompose and naturally fertilize the soil. Bark or wood chip mulch works very well to simulate woodland ground cover.
Wildflowers for woodland gardens in southwest Virginia include the pink native columbine, violets, lily of the valley, jack-in-the-pulpit, hepatica and Virginia fire pink. Lily of the valley have a tendency to spread, so allow room if you want them in your garden. Meadow Wildflowers. A field, part of your lawn, or top of a leachfield area are potential meadows. They receive abundant sunshine and tend to have dry soil. Wildflowers here are supported by shallow roots and need less moisture.
Once again, Lyons emphasizes preparation as the key to success. "Ideally, you would start work applying herbicide to eradicate weeds and their seeds in the fall, but adequate spring preparation can yield satisfying results. Weeds are the major adversary, and great care needs to be taken to eliminate them prior to planting."
The ground needs to be tilled 2 inches or so in early spring. Then a broad spectrum herbicide is applied. There are several dormant weed seeds hiding in the ground, so another herbicide application is necessary about two weeks later.
While these wildflowers are pretty drought resistant when fully grown, they are needy as young plants. Once seeds are sown or small plants are placed in the ground, water the area with a fine spray for two to four weeks to give the plants a good start.
Curt and Marianne Stern of Montgomery County refer to their 6-year old wildflower area as a patch, rather than a garden. Why? "Because we don't do anything to it. The word garden seems to imply some effort," says Marianne. The Stern wildflower patch produces the ideal meadow flowers: Shasta daisies, black-eyed Susans, coreopsis and purple cone flowers. Water Gardens.
Water has always held enormous appeal. From ancient Egypt and the baths of early Roman times to European fountains and American lakes and rivers, water contributes to a soothing state of mind.
Fortunately, there are many wild flowering plants that like wet feet, so to speak, and one of the neatest attributes of water gardening is that a garden can be as small as four gallon tub or as large as a several acre pond.
Building a pond is not especially difficult. Like other wild gardens, most of the work is up front. Wild plants which do well in water include a variety of water lilies, water violets and bogbean. Goldfish lend an especially colorful and lively element to water gardens.
Wildflowers can be grown from seeds (if you are very patient) or from small plants. Most garden centers carry both. It is not appropriate or legal to remove wild plants or their seeds from land that belongs to someone else, including state and national forests. Native wildflowers, once established, will bring visual delight for years, and your garden (or patch!) will continue to grow because wild plants have the unique ability to re-seed themselves.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB