Last week I wrote about keeping gardens small and simple if you are a newbie to gardening. Another recommendation, also for experienced gardeners, is experimenting with self-seeding plants.
Self-seeding annuals can be as reliable as perennials, coming back every year without being planted by the gardener. As long as you have the proper conditions for their germination, they can decrease the cost of gardening as well as some of the work associated with growing them every year.
There are several things to keep in mind, however.
1. Choose your self-seeding plant wisely
If the seed is a hybrid, the new plants will likely not be the same as the parent plant. Thus, only open pollinated plants that breed true should be used for self-seeding if you want the same plant.
2. Make sure conditions are right for germination
Some seeds require different conditions for germination. Since I heavily mulch all my shrub and flower beds, many seeds that require either more light or dryer conditions than the mulch allows may not germinate reliably for me. Sometimes this can be overcome by raking mulch back in spring or fall, depending on the germination time, or by using different mulch like pebbles or gravel to provide the desired conditions in certain areas.
3. Dead-heading can be essential for maintenance
Some self-seed so prolifically that you may need to spend inordinate amounts of time thinning or weeding the unwanted seedlings. Depending on the plant, this can be more or less difficult. My experience with this situation is that if I pay attention to dead-heading some of the flowers as they fade and/or thin seedlings when they first appear, they are easily managed.
Self-seeding plants can improve over time
I see additional advantages to self-seeding plants. Some seeds find their way to happy, new homes sometimes far away from where the parent plants are located. Since my gardens are generally relaxed and not formal in structure these serendipitous happenings have created pairings of plants that I did not think about and which I particularly enjoy. These plants also generally do very well since they like the spot where they are growing or they would not have germinated there in the first place. Serendipity is one of my favorite happenings in gardens.
Another benefit of self-seeding plants is that they can improve over time. The new plants adapt to local conditions from year to year and can perform better than those in previous years. This trait can also add to the biodiversity of our local ecosystem.
Finally, although I have been talking about annuals, many perennials also are good self-seeders which can be beneficial also. These produce the same potential benefits and problems. I have several which play a major part in my gardens. These self-seeders provide me with new plants for other areas and for replacing older or dead plants. I also have some that can be problematic if not handled correctly. I find these to be beneficial both because they are pretty and add to the gardens as well as because management is easier and cheaper than finding others to buy and replace in those garden areas.
