October 10, 2011

These delightful California natives grow in my alley each spring. They came in a wildflower mix that included elegant clarkia (See my earlier post). Though they look quite delicate, they’re remarkably tough and drought tolerant.

If you’d like to have them in your garden next spring, now is a good time to plant the seed. The Theodore Payne Foundation Nursery Store sells the seed for Gilia trilcolor, also known as bird’s eye gilia. It’s available as part of a Roadside Mix and Payne’s #1 Lavender and Blue Mixture.

Sharon Cohoon writing on Sunset’s Fresh Dirt blog extols the virtues and charm of bird’s eye gilia. She reminds me of its long vase life–up to a week.

Annie’s Annuals & Perennials website has further descriptions and images of Gilia tricolor, including “magical with roses” and “tolerant of neglect.” If you don’t get the seeds in, you could order plants from Annie’s this winter, enjoy blooms next spring and collect the seed.

What wildflower seeds are you planting this fall? Or what will return this spring in your garden?

Photo credit: My cousin, Susan Bell, last spring on her visit.