RESCUING Wild Flowers the Pollinators LOVE! 💓 

Thank you for the kind words! And thank you for watching!

Thank you so much, that's very kind of you!! Means a lot!

Thank you so much! Means a lot!

😂

Thank you so much!

Thank you so much! 💓

I’ll definitely try this! I have my seeds stratifying in the fridge to get them started, since I haven’t had time to do containers yet. So I can put this advice into action soon!

Thank you for watching!

That’s awesome! What are you growing? Hoping to do an update on these soon!

@@gardenforbirds last year I sowed columbine, snaps, hibiscus, bachelor button, rudbeckia, yarrow, purple coneflower, sweet William, alyssum, hollyhocks and I did a few poppies even though they are better directly sown. This year I will do many of the same such as snaps, etc. But I have plans to add a few more things this year. I'll be sowing on the first of the year!! "Sow excited"! 😃

😂 “Sow” cool! - good luck with this years bounty!

Thank you! 💓 Yikes, I’ve heard that about the Canadian - and sounds like it spreads by rhizomes so you can actually end up with a giant monoculture of one plant. 😬 I think some have actually used it to smother invasives in wooded areas, I guess the lesser of two monoculture evils! 😅😣 Interesting about the bees preferring the other varieties - it’s so cool to watch them and learn from them! I’m hoping to get some shade loving varieties in our garden too, I think I’ve seen ”zigzag” growing a nearby woods!

@@gardenforbirds I can attest that goldenrod works quite well for smothering invasives. When I moved in, my yard was full of Japanese knotweed. I did pull and dig lots of it, even tried fire. Goldenrod was what ended up knocking it back to a manageable level. I saw a similar pattern with Jerusalem Artichoke outcompeting Johnson grass.

@@rainbowconnected That is fascinating - I don’t have knotweed on my property but I see entire forests here with practically nothing else in their understory. Thank you for sharing, I think managing invasives requires lots of approaches, so learning about options is a huge help to expand the tool belt!

I haven't 100% figured out what I'll be growing this year, but have an idea for expanding one of my gardens that will require a pretty hefty winter sowing effort! The more I grow the more gardens I have to be prepared to add, and my heart and my time availability don't always align well! 😅

I am very over due for an update, but hoping to do one soon! Great question - there are some ethics to collecting wild plants that I’ve been learning as I go. Digging up wild plants is not recommended for a few reasons, but collecting wild seed is a very safe way to collect without damaging the wild population! I think they recommend collecting no more than about 10% of the seed from a given plant, to let them propagate and feed wild life. Here is one article that gives some more guidance: botanish.com/collecting-wild-plants-for-gardens-how-to-forage-responsibly/?amp=1

@@gardenforbirdsI'm thinking since I live in the country and we have about 10 acres here that I should find some on our property. I just want it up front near me. It's funny, looking out at huge fields of goldenrod, its hard to think, I should plant that. ;-) BUT there isn't any cone flower or sunflowers so I will definitely be planting those kinds of things. I am fairly sure we have Joe Pye Weed and NE asters, but I just might plant them up front too. The neighbors will think I have gone crazy. lol

@@Javaman92 Sounds like you have a lovely property! My only other worry about digging is that it often leads to invasive species taking hold, at least where I am. I believe milkweed can by propagated my cuttings, and not sure if other species you’re listing might too - might be worth a check! I wonder if you have some diversity in your goldenrods or mostly Canada goldenrod? I bought some seeds for showy goldenrod and am looking forward to that!

@@gardenforbirdsI've downloaded a few apps that hopefully will allow me to be able to ID plants. At least that is the hope. I'm on the shore of Lake Ontario so who know what I will find.