Planting a Pink Wildflower Garden
Pink is one of those colors that seems just perfect for a wildflower. Whenever you take the time to walk through a meadow in the spring or summertime, chances are you will see at least one type of wildflower of a pink hue poking up between the tall grass. Imagine a whole bunch of these pink flowers, combined with other pink wildflowers, in a planted garden in your yard. Not only do the flowers create a beautiful show, but when bright white stones are scattered in between your flowers, that makes it even more beautiful and will distinctly stand out not just in your yard, but also on the street where you live.
The garden area where you will plant your pink wildflowers can be of regular quality soil with a little mulch added to the soil. Fertilizer is not required for the soil as wildflowers do just fine in the meadows and forests without any special attention given to them. So long as the soil quality in your yard is not heavy clay, they should grow well. The different flowers you can choose from include: bouncing bet, wild rose, bergamot, mallow, pointed-leaved tick-trefoil, wild marjoram, purple bladderwort, arethusa, grass pink, lady’s slipper, germander, showy orchis, gerardia, hairy willow-herb, mountain laurel, wild geranium, steeplebush, and spotted knapweed. Wooded areas are one place you can look for these flowers if there are none in your backyard. Also check your nursery for flower seed packets that have pink wildflowers in it. Mix in lighter shades of pink with darker shades for a contrast. The same can be done with flower shapes, too. For example, a steeplebush plant next to a round, common burdock looks exotic when positioned together. If there are not enough pink wildflowers to fill your garden, you can use any other pink variety available at your local nursery, such as dianthus or pink primrose. Pack the soil around each plant securely before watering.
Now for the white stones. If you have any large white rocks in your yard – whether on top of the ground, or dug up, wash them off with a hose and let dry in the sun before transporting them to your wildflowers. You can strategically place the large rocks by different plants. For the smaller white rocks, a visit to the nursery will do for this part of the project. Most nurseries carry traditional white marble chips, or smooth stones in several sizes that can be used for your garden. A small bag should provide enough stones for your garden. Gently spread them around in and out of your pink flowering plants. To make the wildflower garden look even more inviting, add a white birdbath in durable plastic. Position your garden furniture nearby so you can enjoy watching the birds bathe and drink water from.
Image Credit: Lakshmi Sawitri, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
