Wildflower Workshop – Big Success

The Wildflower Workshop at the South Pas Nature Park on Saturday was a huge success! We’d like to extend a special thank you to Leigh Adams, of Studio Petrichor and Poly/Ana, as well as the Bank of America MyEnvironment Volunteers, South Pas Girl Scouts, South Pas Cub Scouts, high school student volunteers, South Pas Beautiful, and all the others who have helped make this park such a special place. (And a special shout-out to Tarrie and Zara for the wonderful photos!)

The workshop featured a variety of activities. We stocked the GS Troop 3181 Seed Library, sowed seeds throughout the park, made seed balls, and set up a germination experiment with arroyo lupine seeds (Lupinus succulentus).

Seed Germination Experiment

Lupine seeds have tough, hard seed coats, allowing them to remain dormant in the soil for years, awaiting sufficient soil moisture before they germinate. They often appear in masses in areas disturbed by water or fire. However, in the years following such disturbances, especially in dry conditions, the number of lupine plants tends to decrease. Rather than waiting for nature to take its course, we decided to experiment with different techniques to see which method best encourages germination.

In Dara Emery’s classic book, “Seed Propagation of Native California Plants,” three treatments for arroyo lupine are recommended: 1. soaking in warm water, 2. scarifying (scratching) the seed coat, and 3. soaking in sulfuric acid. 

Lupine Seed Test Plots

For our experiment, we used all of these methods, but substituted bamboo vinegar for sulfuric acid. Bamboo vinegar is known to aid germination, control plant diseases, and it has chemicals similar to those present during a wildfire. We also saved an equal amount of seeds to serve as a control with no treatment at all. 

We had two sets of lupine seeds, one from Stover Seed Company and the second harvested from a participant’s garden. As such, we set up eight test plots to sow the seeds.

More fun with seeds

In addition to the germination experiment, the group also made seed balls. Seed balls are a fun and creative way to scatter seeds in gardens, where they remain protected until moisture helps dissolve the clay. While it’s unclear whether this method is more effective than directly sowing the seeds, it certainly makes for an engaging activity. However, a word of caution: avoid dispersing seeds of invasive, nonnative wildflowers. For example, Stover’s California Hummingbird & Butterfly Wildflower Mix contains several invasive species, while their California Native Wildflower Mix does not.

Making seed balls is easy and enjoyable. The kids rolled balls of potter’s clay (thank you to ZzieeCeramics for your donation) about the size of Ikea’s Swedish meatballs. They then used their thumbs to create small indentations for the seeds, which were lined with a pinch of mulch to help nourish the seeds. Finally, the kids added three seeds to each “nest” and closed the ball.

The seed balls can be thrown into gardens and open space. Please do not disperse these in wildlands – it is not permitted, nor it is a good idea ecologically, to plant or spread seed in wild parkland. When there is enough moisture, the clay ball will melt away and the seeds can germinate.

Volunteer Day

Meanwhile, other volunteers were hard at work cutting and clearing broken trees and shrubs left behind by the recent windstorm. Some collected trash and debris, while others gathered fallen palm fronds. These fronds were then creatively repurposed to line test beds and even transformed into beautiful sculptures using the part where the frond attaches to the palm tree.

All and all, it was a great day!