What does your garden look like ... Today?

[JBtheExplorer]

All you need to do is to collect seeds from the wild flowers nearby. You don't have to buy them. I am sure JB will share some tips with you.

I wouldn't recommend that, especially for as large a project as @BradinMichigan wants to do. It's also illegal, except when taking from private property where the homeowner agrees. If you do that, I'd suggest only taking seeds from a specie that has a high population, and taking very few seeds from it.

I'd recommend looking through Prairie Moon Nursery's native seed mixes. Each seed mix comes in multiple sizes, from 500 sq. ft. to an acre. They have different mixes for different conditions, e.i. wet, dry, average, shady, sunny, short grass, tall grass, etc. Their PDQ mix is a solid choice. It's one of their cheapest mixes, but also the quickest to establish. Some species start blooming in year 1.

I wish I would've used their native seed mixes when I started. I did it the hard way and bought packets of individual species. I really had no clue what I wanted or what I was doing, and I'm still finding myself working to make it better each year. A pre-made native seed mix would've helped me a lot, and some of them are surprisingly cheap for 1000 sq. ft., which is about exactly how much habitat I have right now.

I'd have to till up a lot of grass though. Maybe I'll add a small section every year.

Adding on every year is what I did. I've been doing that for four years. Started with 64 sq. ft., and as I said, now have roughly 1000 sq. ft. It's a little weird having each section in a different year of maturity, but eventually that'll even out.

Since you're in Michigan, I assume your weather has probably been as bad as mine, but if you can get any seed down, this is the best time of year to do it.

 

[BradinMichigan]

Wow! Yeah the cabin where I want to do it is in Northeast lower Michigan. Zone 4 (Glennie, Mi 48737) It is 40 acres of forest and field smack dab in The Huron National Forest. That's why there is a small fence of chicken wire, snow fence and wood around it to minimize critter munching.

I'd love to do a huge field and build an 8 foot tall barrier around it. Guess that's a hit the powerball project though!

Unfortunately, I don't go up after first part of November until spring. Well, unless U do a weekend with no water trip. Which can be fun if it's not blistering cold. Our well and pipes aren't insulated. So, planting seeds is out until spring thaw!

Thanks for the recommendation on seeds! Will look into in super early spring and maybe add another small strip adjacent to the one I did this year. The soil is extremely sandy so I did throw some stuff in to amend it. Not much though, just some manure mix and garden soil. Albeit a very very sparse layer but I think it may have helped.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

So, planting seeds is out until spring thaw!

Thanks for the recommendation on seeds! Will look into in super early spring and maybe add another small strip adjacent to the one I did this year. The soil is extremely sandy so I did throw some stuff in to amend it. Not much though, just some manure mix and garden soil. Albeit a very very sparse layer but I think it may have helped.

I wouldn't do any seeding until next fall/winter, since they'll need to sit through winter before they'll grow. Sandy soil is not a problem, you just have to use species that work with sand like certain liatris species, hoary puccoon, purple prairie clover, sand coreopsis, little bluestem, and others.

 

[alp]

I watched The British Garden Revival and the presenter recommend yellow rattle grass, scabious and some others. Yes, just do a small patch and then collect the seeds. No need to overwork.

 

[Bootsy]

We still have a few things flowering as we've only had about a week of overnight frosts.

 

[Owdboggy]

Some snowdrops and a few Hellebores in our February garden

https://imgur.com/a/kG6a9CP

 

[alp]

Love this one. So gorgeous. Thank you for sharing

 

[Sean Regan]

As a low maintenance garden, (if any garden that isn't completely concreted over, could be described as such), at this time of the year, one day looks the same as the next, with nothing urgent enough to be worth attempting.

Our mimosa on the patio is finally in bloom, though the frost got to a few of them.

The lawn's doing well enough, though I'm ordering some iron sulphate for it. I'll run the Flymo over it tomorrow.

The wisterias have all got nice buds on them.

As it's warmer, instead of being huddled in the corner under the filter return, my fish are having a mooch around, though won't be feeding yet.

 

[alp]

Such a lovely garden, with lovely trees and detailing!

 

[Sean Regan]

Spent about three hours in the garden, just generally tidying up, collecting leaves and doing a bit of weeding. Wanted to do some hoeing, but can't, too many bulbs that might get damaged.
Cut the grass, got half a box-full off it. Gave everything a feed. I work on the basis, that if it's showing signs of life, give it one. Can't say that it looked any different from yesterday when I'd finished.

 

[zigs]

Had a mate round with a chainsaw

 

[the lawnsman]

Spent about three hours in the garden, just generally tidying up, collecting leaves and doing a bit of weeding. Wanted to do some hoeing, but can't, too many bulbs that might get damaged.
Cut the grass, got half a box-full off it. Gave everything a feed. I work on the basis, that if it's showing signs of life, give it one. Can't say that it looked any different from yesterday when I'd finished.

View attachment 49853

the garden may not be bathed in life at the moment, but still retains that nice feel of serenity!

 

[DirtMechanic]

Its a mess but its green, mostly.

 

[nitram]

My decked area by the pond.

 

[DirtMechanic]

My decked area by the pond.
View attachment 50193

Oh wow! I was sitting on my tailgate having a beer but your pic has me enthralled!