Wildflowers

In much of the West in spring, wildflowers carpet whole hillsides with brilliant blooms of yellow, orange, pink, blue, and white—especially after a rainy winter. You see annuals with willowy stems and crepe paper–thin petals that glow in sunlight. And you see tough perennials that have thick petals saturated with color. But you don’t need a roadtrip to find wildflowers—they grow in garden beds and even in containers. Buy a seed mix designed for your climate; an ounce of seed can cover 100 square feet. Broadcast the seeds over weed-free soil in a sunny spot, following package instructions. Lightly rake the soil to cover the seeds. Oh, and pray for rain!

12 garden-friendly wildflowers: 

• Blackfoot daisy (Melampodium leucanthum),
• California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
• Corn cockle (Agrostemma githago)
• Baby blue eyes (Nemophila menziesii)
• Perennial blue flax (Linum perenne),
• Clarkia (Clarkia unguiculata)
• California desert bluebells (Phacelia campanularia)
• Desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata)
• Godetia (Clarkia amoena)
• Lupine (Lupinus succulentus)
• Tidytips (Layia platyglossa),
• Wine cups (Callirhoe involucrata)