There is a product you can try called Grass Be Gone that will kill only grasses.(Other companies make similar concoctions.) I don't use much in the way of chemicals, but I have used this to kill grass in areas where I just cannot hand weed. I have never tried it in my shade wildflowers such as trilliums, but then, grass usually isn't a problem in the shade. Good luck.

Another option would be to start actual plants from seed and then plant and mulch them in your bed. A lot of the wildflower mixes, imho, aren't natives anyway.

Where are you located? wnc? I may have some seeds to things that are native to your area, and then you might want to check out the Winter Sowing Forum, and winter sow them this winter.

Email me via my Member Page email link if you are interested.

Sue...aka chemocurl

Thanks. I am willing to try the grass killer. will look for it. (though I am trying to attract butterflies!) I am in western North Carolina...Asheville area. I have resisted the plant transplanting because that is a lot of area to fill in manually. I am older and it was hard enough renting a tiller to do the final soil breakup! I hired someone to do the initial plowing. I may try to find a better grade of wildflowers next time also. I used the packs you buy in various big boxes or nurseries. But Sue, I do thank you for your offer of seeds. I will try to figure out the email link to see if your seeds would work here.

I should add that most prairie type plantings I have seen do contain grasses, which help those tall wildflowers remain standing through wind and rough weater. However, you may want to buy plants of those that clump so you will know which type you have. NC has a wonderful grass supplier with a great catalog to help you visualize. Unfortunately, the nursery is wholesale only, but you can try to convince a local nursery to order for you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hoffman Nursery Catalog (wholesale only)

for the past five years I have been converting grass to wildflowers using the lasagna bed method. This can be too hard to do in large areas so I started just smothering grass with newspaper or cardboard then putting a few inches of topsoil on top and seeing right away. It has worked very well. If you have soysia grass I would put at least 12 inches of soil down on top of newspaper or cardboard. Good luck!

I recommend the smothering/lasagne method too. I've done this before on areas of traditional lawn that I wanted to convert to native wildflower patches, and it works well.

Then you could either direct-sow native wildflower seeds, or winter-sow the native seeds in containers and transplant them into your wildflower area (see post from Sue/Chemocurl above). Winter-sowing in containers helps prevent the seeds from being eaten or washed away over the fall and winter.

I just started winter-sowing native seeds in containers & transplanting this past year and have been amazed how well it's worked so far. Seedlings are all growing nicely. Just keep in mind you may not get much flowering the first year from native perennials grown from seed. Also, if you winter-sow in containers, you will have to dig holes for the transplanted seedlings. Not always easy on the back or the knees...

Whether you direct-sow or winter-sow in containers, those "wildflower mixes" from the bigger stores are notorious for containing non-native wildflower and non-native grass seeds. You might want to try purchasing the seeds of the native wildflowers you would like in individual packets.

Some native wildflower seeds need a period of cold, moist stratification to germinate, so they are best direct-sown in the fall, or winter-sown in containers. Some will germinate best when sowed in the spring. Most native seed companies will tell you the best time of year to sow each kind of seed.

I got my native seeds from Prairie Moon Nursery, and Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve in PA.

North Carolina State University has info on growing natives on their website:
http://www.ncsu.edu/goingnative/index.html

If you're not sure what kind of seeds to get, check out the information sheets (see link below) from N.C. State University that you can download. These sheets list N.C. native plants and wildflowers and what kind of growing conditions they need. Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: NC State University: Going Native

A follow-up thanks to the last two posters. I had decided I needed to get a "better class of seed" or plants! I also appreciate the sources noted. I decided that I need more partial shade plants since my plot gets sun between sun-up to about 2 pm. Then sun is behind trees. And I know about the ncsu site but my issue of grass was my main problem here. But thanks again to all responders and I look forward to a better 2011!