Awash in Daisies: Wildflower Meadow in Tucson

Bill Horne re-created desert wash wildflower patterns in his Tucson garden. He loosened native soil, spread African daisy seed in select locations, raked in, watered. Ten days after sprouting, he thinned dense seedlings with herbicide (or hoe), then reseeded gaps with desert bluebells, globe mallow, golden fleece, lupines, poppies, verbena. Kept moist a few weeks, then relied on winter rains. Garden bloomed February through spring, died back in May. He removed faded plants, harvested seeds, smoothed ground around agaves, cactus, native trees.