Gardening Etcetera: How to grow wildflowers in our region

There is a misconception about growing wildflowers, particularly in the arid lands of the American west. Oftentimes I encounter new gardeners who hope they can just sprinkle seeds around their garden and voilà! — a meadow of color will spring up effortlessly.

I think the idea comes from the very name wildflowers. Yes, they do grow effortlessly in the wild without human intervention. However, in the wild, specific species wait for the opportune time to sprout and grow. In fact, some seeds can lay dormant for over 50 years before the perfect time comes. This timing usually correlates with the right soil temperatures and abundant rain/snowfall in the late winter that soaks the ground causing germination. In really wet years, there are gorgeous displays of color, but in dry years, wildflowers can be sparse or nonexistent.