Gardening with wildflowers. (Gardening).

With the coming of spring, a local couple I know engages in a friendly debate that occurs each year as the grass grows and the trees bloom. The conflict is centered on the topic of mowing grass. She prefers it short. He prefers it long. This residence doesn't suffer from a lack of functioning equipment or an excessive lack of motivation, but rather from a keen interest and well-placed sense of protection for wildflowers. The large, rolling front yard is painted colorfully with the bright yellows of mustard and the sky blue of phlox that he patiently allows to bloom and safely re-seed before he mows. She concedes in a friendly manner, saying, "We just let it go. We don't know where it will come, or when it will go, or how long it will last. We just let it do its thing." That's a sporting statement from a woman whose favorite story is recalling how once, when they were chosen as Yard of the Month, the honorary sign was barely visible in the long grass and flowers.

This story is somehow an ironic reflection of the current differing attitudes found in our communities with respect to nature and development. Our attitude towards our yards and gardens is generally one of control and uniformity. We like things neat, square, mowed, sprayed, pruned and standing at attention. Who says the wild beast can't be tamed? Our maniacal mowing leaves little room for native flowers or plants to establish themselves and propagate.

Gardeners interested in cultivating native Mississippi wildflowers, however, will be pleased to find that many native wildflowers are emigrating from their original surroundings to urban settings. Wildflowers have several advantages over non-native plants: they are not as susceptible to pests and disease, they re-seed or multiply easily, and they act like magnets for birds and butterflies. A true wildflower garden has a distinct personality that is carefree, untamed, unpredictable, and in some opinions, unruly. For the latter reason, some tend to shy away from wildflowers because of a "messy" look that seems contrary to our modern-day compulsion for establishing perfect-looking environments. Wildflowers, however, make wonderful choices for any gardener interested in establishing a cottage-style garden.

With the growing availability of both wildflower plants and seeds to the public, gardeners have an opportunity to learn more about these plants and use them in mass plantings or selectively in flower beds. A good case in point is the coreopsis, which has gained popularity for its showy, bright yellow blooms. Through the efforts of the Garden Clubs of Mississippi, the lance-leaf coreopsis was named the Mississippi state wildflower.

Another example of a field-to-flowerbed migration is the black-eyed Susan. Unmistakable for its dark center and yellow petals, this plant could almost be classified as a weed for its reliability. The variety Goldsturm was named the 1999 perennial plant of the year. Another variety, Indian Summer, was honored as a Mississippi Medallion plant. The purple coneflower is another wildflower that has become the workhorse of urban perennial beds. This is probably one wildflower that most know by its scientific name, Echinacea, due to recent mass marketing of this plant as an herbal remedy. This perennial grows in clumps that are easily divided in the fall and is striking with its dark bronze center and lavender petals.

Equally eye-catching in the garden are the gaillardia, the butterfly weed, and an often-seen roadside flower, Joe Pye weed. Gaillardia, or Indian Blanket, is a wildflower with a daisy-like bloom painted with intense shades of red and orange with touches of yellow. The butterfly weed is a tall perennial wildflower with delicate blooms that are reddish-orange with touches of yellow. Joe Pye weed is probably considered by most to be a weed, but this unusually tall plant with airy red blooms is a wonderful addition to perennial borders and makes an interesting companion plant with grasses.

Some annual wildflowers that can be grown from seed in sunny sites include cosmos, cornflower or bachelor buttons, larkspur and cleome. All are colorful, easily re-seed themselves and lend an old-fashioned air to a garden.

Mississippians interested in learning more about wildflowers will find the Mississippi Native Wildflower Conservation Program to be a valuable resource. Jeff Wilson, who works for the program, informed me that its main objective is the preservation and distribution of wildflowers native to Mississippi. This program resulted from a collaboration between the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission (MSWCC). Wildflowers are researched, studied, and grown at the Plant Materials Center near Coffeeville, and the seed produced is available to the public through any of the local MSWCC offices. Some of the seeds currently for sale are the plains coreopsis, bur marigold, black-eyed Susan, and lyre-leaf sage. Jeff said that native grasses such as buffalo grass, giant blue stem, and little blue stem are also cultivated and planted.

An enthusiastic supporter and wildflower educator is Lynn Porter of the Hinds County SWCC office. Lynn considers herself a passionate weekend gardener who has discovered firsthand the advantages of wildflowers. She recommends planting seeds in the fall, between late August and October, by lightly scratching the soil surface and scattering the seeds. She believes that most novice growers make two mistakes: planting seeds too deep and fussing over them! Even during times of drought, Lynn says her wildflowers perform with little water. Her favorites include Indian Blanket, lyre-leaf sage and Queen Anne's lace (a non-native plant).

Besides having access to the conservation program and its educational opportunities, Mississippians will also find books such as Stephen Timme's Wildflowers of Mississippi and Wildflowers of the Natchez Trace to be good reference sources.

Learning to recognize and include native wildflowers in our urban gardens will not only add interest and diversity but, more importantly, will ensure that the Mississippi landscape retains its originality despite our ever-growing, permanent footprints on the land.