Self-seeders for a Meadow Style Garden

My favorite Sun Lover combinations are often created from self- seeders. Mother nature plants them for you each year which gives the garden a natural meadow like effect.

Mid to Late Spring

Yellow pincushion flower (scabiosa ochroleuca)- pollinators plus goldfinches like the seeds

Love in a Mist (nigella damascena)- bees

Larkspur- no pollinators that I've seen

Photos from the front yard "Meadow garden" bed

There is a Japanese Maple at the top corner of the bed which is a little unorthodox for a meadow style garden, but they work fine together. The delicate shape of the divided maple leaves works well with the dreamy flower blossoms. The dark foliage also complements the flower colors.

The Love in a Mist also have beautiful seed heads that are a chartreuse color before they go completely brown. You can see them in the first photo.

In Fall 2020 I added tall yellow snapdragons to the garden. These aren't from seed and pollinators don't use them, but the effect was quite showy. Purple salvia is growing near them. They will support the pollinators.

A lone batchelor's button on April 14th, 2020. It has self seeded, but is probably overwhelmed by the Love in a Mist plants.

May 2021

No larkspur or batchelor buttons have appeared. We are experiencing a late Spring due to cooler temps and dryness. The Love in a Mist and Yarrow plants appear unfazed.

Late Spring/Early Summer

Pink Yarrow, Yellow Snap dragons, "Milkshake" echinacea and yelllow pin cushion flowers

The Yarrow is a self-seeder.

Mid Summer to Frost- same garden as above, but the color goes to orange

Yellow pincushion flowers (to Frost)- pollinators and finches

Blackberry Lilies ( to late summer)- no pollinators

Orange Cosmos (to Autumn)- bees, butterflies

Purple salvia, perennial which blooms intermittently in summer and attracts bees. White oxalis (bulb) is in the background of the above cosmos photo.

For the most rapid results start with a plant and then let it self-seed for the following year. I did this with the yellow pincushion plants. I started the cosmos and larkspur from seed. A favorite perennial in this bed is the echinacea, "Milkshake".

Happy gardening!