When we set out to plant a patch of native wildflowers (predominately native; see our complete seed list here) along Highway 14 in Washougal in fall 2023, it’s fair to say we didn’t know what we were getting into. Not really. We researched and talked to local experts, and picked up some important tips. But we also found that everybody had a different opinion. There wasn’t any single right way, just lots of probably wrong ways. What worked for others in different settings wouldn’t necessarily work for us. So, their advice and a bunch of internet printouts in hand, we decided to figure it out for ourselves.
After three years of work, one failed test garden, two bumper crops of flowers, and two expansions, we learned one thing for certain: Thousands of square feet of wildflowers concentrated into a bright beautiful patch alongside the highway is a lovely thing. Truly, amazingly, breathtakingly lovely. The results look like like an impressionist painting.
At the same time, creating this swath of wildflowers required intensive research and planning and the hands and backs of dozens of volunteers — folks from across East County who raked, hoed, dug trenches, laid and rolled up solarization plastic, planted seeds and bulbs, and then weeded and watered during the driest part of the summer. And continue to do so. In other words, this is no easy thing.
We started planning in late 2023 by consulting WSDOT, which owns this right-of-way. Their landscape designer came to check out the space and talk through the process. 
Once we decided on the location and dimensions, we marked out our boundary lines. 
We decided to prep half the plot via solarization. To start, we dug a trench around the perimeter of the plot. 
Even with machinery, digging trenches is hard work. 
We unrolled the plastic and stuffed the ends into the trenches, burying them with soil and rocks. 
Half of our original plot was solarized; the other half was tilled. Thanks to our volunteer tractor driver! 
Our weed-whacking crew kept the tilled half cut low. Despite our best efforts, tilling didn’t work well for us. Weeds and grass came back abundantly in the spring, crowding out our young seedlings. 
Greenhouse-grade plastic does a great job killing grass and weeds and allowed us to avoid herbicides. But animals walk on the plastic and create holes, which we then need to repair. 
In the fall, we pulled out the ends of the plastic sheet and rolled it back up. Then we store it for next time. 
Planting Oregon iris bulbs. We wanted to hedge our bets and give at least some plants a head start. 
We sketched in lines for planting our seeds. 
We mixed certain combinations of seeds and divided them up. Tall plants like goldenrod went at the back. 
Then we cast the seed by hand. 
Our low-tech method of tamping the seeds into the ground turned out to be a great use of election signs. 
March 2024: Our first seedlings were coming up, and we were trying to identify them. 
May 2024: Sea blush! We declared victory: something was blooming! 
Another wave: California poppy. 
Clarkia, with a few corn poppies mixed in. The colors are always changing. 
Caring for our wildflowers. We spend time with them, observing what’s coming doing well and what’s not. Not all flowers will bloom this first summer. 
Our Year 2 planting team, November 2024. The solarization method worked so well that we used it again to expand by another 4,000 square feet.
Learning by Doing, and Sharing Our Lessons
We’ve learned a lot along the way. In fact, learning was the whole point of the project, at least in the beginning. How best to prepare the ground (which, by the way, is sandy and full of rocks)? We decided to experiment by using two entirely different techniques. What best to plant? We planted 25 different native species, knowing some would grow much better than others. What if we selectively weeded in the summer, to keep wild carrot and other weeds to a minimum? On the other hand, what if we didn’t? Should we water to help plants get established, or would watering violate the code of nature, which after all naturally encourages the hardiest?
Scroll the slideshow above to learn about the steps we took, and what worked and didn’t. Find out why, despite some painful lessons, we’ve been so pleased with the results that we planted another 4,000 square feet of wildflowers in November 2024, and a final 2,000 square feet in November 2025.
Join Us in Keeping Our Plots Healthy
The fact is, there’s nothing more joyful and environmentally useful than native plants. Want to be part of this project? We need you! We’ll be going out throughout summer 2026 to weed and water as necessary. Contact us here to get involved.