Gardens gone wild!

With the title,”Gardens gone wild”,  one might assume we are speaking of a rouge garden overrun with weeds and unkempt bushes; rather this is to show us ideas for a garden with a wildflower theme.

Have you ever taken a walk through an open field or wooded trail and discovered hidden treasures of wildflowers scattered along the landscape? Perhaps you are like me and think how lovely they might be in your yard but are afraid they may take over the garden. Well it is possible to keep a wildflower garden, this however does not mean maintenance free.

My friend Doreen has a beautiful garden in front of her home filled with all sorts of plants and flowers one would find in the wild. Beds of Shasta daisies abound adding a heavenly blanket inviting guests to closer examine the garden.

We also see Queen Anne’s Lace or wild carrot; some consider this a pesky weed but actually is a wild flower. There were sprouts of Queen Anne’s Lace throughout her garden resembling doilies laid out for high tea.

One of the things I found most amazing in her garden were massive bushes of sage, adding a hearty greenery to the garden, the delicate purple flowers gave a perfect contrast. Many of you know sage is handy to have around for cooking and has a captivating aroma.

An abundance of fresh lavender surrounded the garden creating a purple garter for the flower beds. Lavender can be dried and used for aromatherapy. Doreen was picking bunches of flowers for me to take home, all the while explaining the different uses for many of her plants. A benefit of wildflowers is how they lend themselves to picking and will replenish on their own.

Tall grasses added a backdrop of soothing greenery allowing the flowers to stand out even more so. While picking flowers and telling me about the garden, Doreen was also plucking unwanted weeds so that her garden did not become too wild. As we said earlier, this is not a bed of weeds and wild bushes but a showcase of natures beauty. One of the benefits of wildflowers is that they will return each year and tend to grow into a hearty stock, which of course one would want keep in control as to not loose the garden to one type of plant.

I put some of the sage and lavender into a vase which I now have in my front window along with my aloe plants. Even a few days after my visit, they hold their beauty and still give off a nice fragrance. I have three vases full of wildflowers that I will be able to enjoy before they fade away. This was just a small glimpse of what my friend has in her garden, perhaps we will share another visit to her place in the future.

I highly recommend educating yourself on any wildflowers or vegetation before introducing them to your yard or garden, you would not want something poisonous or invasive over throwing your yard.