Wildflower Yard Tips and Benefits
- The Editorial Team
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Written by our broker Julie Dunne
As someone who has lived in all types of houses and condos, I've learned to adapt my green spaces in a variety of ways. I love sharing that knowledge with my clients so they can make the most of where they live. It’s a factor that everyone who maintains a home considers - do I want to maintain a yard and garden, or don’t I? For those who choose the condo route, this article might not be for you :-) There will be so many times that those of us that choose to have a yard will be envious of your ability to enjoy pizza and Netflix on a snowy and frosty Friday night, while the rest of us are shoveling and digging and wiping our noses on our parka sleeves! Having a yard, whether a little patch of green between the back stairs and the alley, or several acres of land to be managed, can also be a side quest that many people enjoy for a wide variety of reasons. We plant veggies that require daily care and feeding, or plant perennials that we never have to worry about but they cover up that messy bit where the fence hits the ground. One choice anyone with a yard has to confront, though, is what to do about the lawn.
Culturally, we have been encouraged to have perfectly weed-free and electrically green lawns, and if you have ever had to work on your grass, you know that’s a pretty hard standard to maintain. I remember as a kid and a young homeowner, seeing - and then paying for - the constant parade of trucks that would come and spray your lawn with chemicals to keep it perfect, and the the resultant frequent mowing that is required when your lawn is ‘healthy’. Recently I started paying attention to the trend of naturalizing our lawns, of either just not using the chemicals and letting it go, or replacing them completely with wildflower beds, or maybe some sort of alternative version between the two. I’m a few years into this process at the 5 acre property we bought in 2021, and while it’s been a lot of hard work, it’s also been really interesting, and it’s fun to share tips and learn from others that are working on their own lawn upheaval projects. Here’s a few of my main takeaways from this process so far, but first, a cute photo of my cat enjoying the garden.
Proper preparation is key! I did not know this in the beginning, and just thought we could stop with the chemical treatments and it would sort itself out over time. If you love creeping charlie and dandelions
exclusively, this is the method for you! If you prefer a more successful approach, fully removing the existing grass, weeds and invasive shrubs is important. it will mean you have a year of no lawn AND no wildflowers, but it makes for a more successful project in the long run. There are lot of ways to do this, and I found this article to be helpful in explaining the process.
Do you have sun or shade? Make sure what you intend to plant is going to thrive in your spot. City yards that are hemmed in by buildings on all sides and a wide meadow in a suburban subdivision will host different plants, and choosing the right ones will mean much less work for you! Once you have your area prepared, a search for midwest native wildflowers and ground covers will offer lots of options, and bulk seeds are not very expensive - especially when compared with treatment services and frequent mowing.
Speaking of mowing, a great way to reduce the impact of property maintenance on our environment, schedules, and budgets is by reducing mowing. Whether you convert to colorful and tall-growing wildflowers or a tidy carpet of micro-clovers, mowing becomes a rare occasion when you remove grass lawns, it’s great! Even with all the rain we had this year, my sunny lawn that is mostly clover, violets, and creeping charlie only needs a mow every 2-3 weeks. It’s green and healthy and soft underfoot, it’s just not grass. Same effect, just with different plants. In the morning, it’s swarming with little bees, happily buzzing away and pollinating. My cats certainly enjoy it too!
Patience required! Switching an area to native plants and wildflowers is not a same-season process. Your timeline could vary quite a bit, depending on how much prep you have to do, the plants you choose, and the amount of work you put in. We have an area that used to be thick buckthorn and honeysuckle overgrowth under an oak and ash canopy, and after a first clearing of that area I put down shade-friendly wildflower seeds. This year is the second season for them, and just now I’m starting to see the bachelor buttons and foxgloves and poppies getting tall enough to make their presence known. Next year might be the first time we really get to see the fruits of our efforts, but I’m optimistic! In the meantime, while the seeds take hold and grow their roots, we have to be careful to make sure the invasives don’t return and overpower the young shoots. I do this for a short time in the morning before heading off to showings, walking along the area while having my breakfast smoothie, pulling out weeds and giving back air space and dappled sunlight to the new shoots. They respond quickly, and it’s gratifying to watch! Like the clover lawn areas, the bees and bugs love it, and an area that was previous devoid of new growth and never reached by the sun is coming back to life.
Ditch the watering worries! Wildflower and clover lawns are far more tolerant of wild weather swings, even droughts. This year in Chicago has seen record level rainfalls for weeks on end, and dry spell heat waves lasting more than 2 weeks, and my clover areas didn’t react to either. Once they are rooted and growing, native plants are far hardier than the finicky lawn grasses, meaning less stress for you and smaller water bills.
Here’s some helpful links for info on wildflower yards and seed mixes suitable for the Chicagoland area:
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