Why give out flower packets?
This year, for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Green Columbus decided to giveaway around 1000 wildflower seed packets of native plants to our community. These are ways in which we can have our own versions of pocket prairies in our yards. These flowers are all known to attract pollinators and give them essential nutrients that are necessary to survive - especially in urban environments where native wildflowers are less common. Creating a space in your own yard can be easy with these packages.
The flowers are:
Black-eyed Susan (annual)
Purple Coneflower (perennial) More info for Care
Partridge Pea (perennial)
Butterfly Milkweed (perennial)
Instructions for Planting:
Remove existing (undesired) vegetation, if necessary
Sprinkle seeds on top of the soil with approximately 20-40 seeds per square foot
Compress seeds into the soil by walking on them (do not cover these seeds completely in the soil as they need sun)
Water frequently until the seedlings are about 4-6 inches
The Wildlife Trusts has proposed an alternative to having perfectly mowed and manicured lawns by stating we should “Leave a corner wild.” So even if you did not get the seeds, just leaving one corner of your yard without being mowed can provide valuable habitat to pollinators for much-needed plant resources! If you do want to get the seed packets, be sure to stay tuned for weekly challenges we will be announcing on our Facebook - if you:
Become a GreenSpot member
Post a pledge for how you will conserve energy (week 1), conserve water (week 2), how you celebrate Earth day at home (week 3) and lastly how you reuse, reduce or recycling (week 4), then we will send you a package of wildflowers (one per person).
Reference:
https://secure.iowadot.gov/lrtf/docs/PrairieSeedlingGuide.pdf - A guide to what the seedlings will look like when they’re growing.
