Wildflower Garden

In 2001, my wife, Charlene, and I put in a picket fence in front of our house and started a wildflower garden around it. I did most of the fence installation, and Char did virtually all of the gardening over the past eight years.

This year, however, due to her work (and other) commitments, the gardening has become my responsibility. I’ve never really been much for yard work, and I’m still not – as far as mowing grass, weed eating, and trimming hedges goes. But I’m discovering that I really enjoy my time taking care of the wildflower garden. I find it very relaxing and it is rewarding to see the results of my labor.

Char originally planted a number of wildflowers such as Shasta Daisies, Coneflowers, Black-eyed Susans, and Butterfly Bushes. What we’re seeing the last few years are a number of other wildflowers making their way into the garden. Species such as Dame’s Rocket, Rough-fruited Cinquefoil, Cornspeedwell, and others are now growing alongside the others. There are also a few species that I’ve yet to identify that are there, too.

How they’re all getting there I’m just not sure. One thought I had is that birds are sitting on the overhead lines above the garden, doing their business, and dropping seeds into the garden. Who knows – we’re just glad for the beauty that’s being added to our front yard!