I started doing research on wildflowers that will grow in the shade, and also on reputable seed companies. A long time ago I bought a bag of wildflower seed from Costco, did what the instructions on the bag told me, waited and waited, and then not a single flower ever came up. Not one. When I started looking into turning part of my yard into a meadow, I learned that the wildflower seed packs you buy at Lowe’s and Home Depot can contain up to 90% filler. I don’t even know how that’s legal. What a crock!

I looked around online and found Eden Brothers seed company, whose website claims to be “the seediest place on Earth!” They have a shade wildflower mix that has 22 different species and has excellent reviews. I bought that one, and I added a few other seed packets to make sure I had a lot of my favorites.

I ordered echinacea (also called purple coneflower) because they’re both beautiful and medicinal. I got foxglove because my daughter requested it. I chose coreopsis and black-eyed Susan because they’re native in Georgia. I also ordered a pack of wild sunflowers because I love them. They are the happiest little flowers. They may not do well at all in the partial shade, but I can try. My whole order came to $33 with shipping.

I hate paying shipping, but the seed packs on Amazon were not from quality companies. I’d rather pay a little more and not get a bunch of filler.

The next step will be planting the seeds!