Ravel, it's good that you are continuing with your efforts to create a wildflower butterfly garden. The one thing you should not expect is for wildflowers to have the same performances as their ornamental relatives. That is because the plants we normally use in gardens have been improved over the years and therefore appear more spectacular. So expect this of most of your flowers.

Next I do need to ask as to where you are located. Your location determines what sort of wildflowers will thive there. For example in Ontario do check the website, wildflower farm and Acorus for information on wildflowers. Note that there's not much nformation as to their zones - which is the reason why it's important to identify your province and look up the plants natural in your area.

As to divisions - yes you can divide plants now for as long as the ground are still workable. I'd prefer to divide once the plant has gone or is close to dormant.

As to seed collection. I would suggest harvesting the ripened flowerhead and putting them facing down in brown paper bags. Seeds out to drop down. Milkweed have large seedpods. Once this splits tufted seeds will float away.

I grow eupatorium for semi-shade conditions, meadowsweet, thalictum and filipendula. I also grow sweet williams (invasive) and epimedium, virginia bluebells (also invasive), columbine

trilliums are shade loving plants
Jack in the Pulpit
Marsh Marigolds
Violas (careful - can be terribly invasive)
woodland anemone
wild blue flax
yellow lady's slipper
wild geranium
tall buttercup
lupines
forget me nots
There are tons of information out there on wildflowers and all you need to do is to do more online research. Try locating more information using the term woodland plant for shade loving wildflowers.

I would suggest you get a Petersons wildflower book for your area. I have Petersons field guide to wildflowers of northeastern/north central, North America. It gives you a comprehensive guide of how to recognize plants, it's seeds, growing conditions,size and flowers and their colors. In fact almost everything you want to know about wildflowers for your area.

I prefer to divide my plants in the spring when they first show above the ground, for the simple reason that in my climate I have greater success with not losing them. I think the time you divide them is a personal preference as long as you do it when they are going into or coming out of dormancy. You do what works best for you where you live.

Dividing is fairly easy. Just dig up the whole plant and tease off sections of it.

I didn't mention collecting seeds. Collect seeds only after they have turned brown. Collecting green seed pods will result in your getting immature seeds that won't be viable. Keep them in an open dish in the house out of the sun until they are completely dry for a few days or so. Do this even if you think they are dry because they may still contain moisture. Then put in a clean dry bottle and label them--I save those little packets you get in shoes to keep them dry and stick one in the jar with the seeds. Pill bottles are good and so are baby food jars. Store in a cool, dry, dark place.

Hi Ianna and oilpainter,

First of all, please forigive my late reply. I simply did not have time up to now to provide you with the response that you both deserve for helping me the way you did.

Ianna,I am located in the Ottawa region. Thank you so much for the two websites that you suggested. I will definitively take a good look at them.

I shall divide my wild bergamot sometimes soon and hopefully they could bloom more by the next summer. You mention that you divide plants when they are dormant. How can you tell when a plant is dormant (so sorry for my silly questions)? I am asking because I also have a New England Aster that I would like to move/divide to a different location in my yard and its flowers are still very apparent.

Thank you so much for the long list of plants that you mentionned. They all look beautiful and I will consider them for next season.

Oilpainter, thank you so much for your precious help on division and seed collecting. I am glad that you mention the Petersons guide as I have been thinking of purchasing a copy for quite some times now. I have always wanted a field guide of wildflowers but never really knew which one to get.

I would have one more question to ask for the two of you (or anybody else). Is it a good idea to directly sow outside ( sometimes soon) the seeds of the Common Milkweed that I recently collected or is it better to sow them in the Spring ? Same question about Black-Eyed Susan and Wild Bergamot seeds ?

Once again,thank you for all your help.

All the best.

I would sow any wild plant seed outside asap. Most seeds like Milkweed, Black-eyed Susan etc spread in my yard with no intervention and therefore I have to assume that a winter in the garden won't hurt them and they probably need the freeze.

As for guides, the big one I have is The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers.

A bargain set of field guides for those of us that live nearby is the Algonquin Park Nature Guides which are available via the Friends of Algonquin Park website or directly in the Park at the visitor's centre. The Wildflower Guide for example is only $2.50 and has colour photos. Although they are meant for the Park, they work well for me in Muskoka by limiting all the varieties you have to wade through because they don't live here.

I also like Forest Plants of Ontario. If you want to trade for seeds (including wildflower ones), check out the Canadian Seed Exchange forum.

/Cathy

I've been successful in starting black eyed susans which are annuals indoors. I've tried direct sowing them to iffy results. However if you wish to give it a try, being that these are wild flowers, you could do it as a wintersowing project. Take a gander over to the wintersowing forum for directions. I would do the same with the wild bergamot. I;ve not tried milkweed since I hadn't had interest in them. BTW I have also started bee balm indoors succcessfully which I later transplanted. However I do have a good indoor growing system so perhaps until you have set up, wintersowing might be a good option for you.

Ravel30, if you start seeds or plants of Canada Goldenrod or Common Milkweed, be aware that these varietes are both VERY aggressive in their growing habits and may choke or crowd out any other wild (native) perennials that you might want to grow. They spread vigorously both by underground roots and by seed. I belong to a Wildflower Society and our group does not generally recommend growing these unless you live on a very large country property away from your neighbours. There are many other varieties of goldenrod and milkweed that should grow for you but be less aggressive.