Nemophila menziesii, Baby Blue Eyes seed
Low-growing and vibrant-blue flowering meadow annual. Covers 5 sq ft.
From Northwest Meadowscapes:
Dream-like, low growing, and robin’s egg blue (with white centers), this abounding little annual adds a vibrant punch of color to spring meadows, lawns, partially shaded understories, and even to less than ideal planting sites (such as compacted ground and poor soils).
Baby blue eyes are native from Oregon to Mexico, with some white-flowered subspecies (ours are blue), and they are quite adaptable beyond their specific native range, without becoming invasive -- and they are fairly deer resistant.This genus, Nemophila, comes from the Greek term meaning "grove loving" or "woodland loving," and in wild conditions, baby blue-eyes do tend to thrive in dappled woodland understories, but they are also quite carefree and at home in meadows, grasslands, coastal bluffs – AND – in containers, and garden beds. (This is a fantastic native plant for containers).
Baby blue eyes flowers in mid-to-late-spring, and can be fall sown in moderate climates, or spring sown in areas with cold winters.This is a great plant to establish in large drifts, especially in lawns with other low growing wildflowers such as yaak yarrow, self heal, and with fine-leaved fescue grasses (e.g. red fescue, sand fescue, western fescue, Molate fescue, etc.).
To introduce baby blue eyes into a lawn, first mow the grass as low as possible (scalping it), and remove the clippings. Then use a core aerator (which can be rented at many hardware stores) to create openings in the turf. Immediately over-seed the lawn (this should all be performed during the appropriate planting season).
How to Use Your Cover Crop & Native Seed Packets
Each seed packet is measured to cover 25 sq ft or 100 sq ft, depending on the size you chose.
Sowing Instructions
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When to sow: Fall is ideal in Portland. The soil is still warm for germination, and fall rains keep seedlings watered. Some seeds (like meadowfoam or clovers) can also be spring-sown.
How to sow:
- Rake the soil lightly to create good seed-to-soil contact.
- Scatter the contents of the packet evenly over the area (don’t worry about perfect spacing).
- Gently press or rake seeds in so they make contact with the soil. Do not bury deeply — most native and cover crop seeds need light to germinate.
- Water: Fall rains usually do the job, but water lightly if the weather turns dry.
What to Expect
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Traditional Cover Crops (rye, peas, fava, daikon, crimson clover, buckwheat, mustard): Grow quickly, protect soil, and build fertility. In spring, chop them down or mow before they set seed. Some (like rye) can also be crimped into a mulch.
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Living Mulches (red fescue, dwarf yarrow, creeping thyme, low clovers): These stay low and provide long-term weed suppression and ground cover. Shear lightly as needed, but they don’t require replanting every year.
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Pollinator Wildflowers (Clarkia, poppy, gilia, flax, meadowfoam, coneflower, blanketflower): Not classic cover crops, but they add beauty and attract bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects. Many reseed naturally.
Spring & Summer Management
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Chop-and-drop: Cut plants at the base and leave them as mulch (peas, fava, clovers).
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Mow: Use on ryegrass or cereals to turn them into quick mulch.
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Crimp: Flatten tall rye or grains at flowering to create a long-lasting weed barrier.
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Shear perennials: Yarrow, thyme, and sedges can be trimmed back after bloom.
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Self-seeders: Flowers like poppy, clarkia, and meadowfoam will often reseed themselves. Leave some seed heads if you want them back next year.
Quick Tips
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Cover crops = soil builders.
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Living mulches = weed suppressors.
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Wildflowers = pollinator magnets.
Tulle or row cover can protect young seedlings from birds and slugs until established.
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