It’s such a treat to stumble on a patch of wildflowers or to see the roadside beautification projects succeeding so well. But how many of us every think about planting wildflowers in our gardens? Too weedy? Sure, there are some plants that just aren’t refined enough to be on view all season, but many wildflowers and native plants are perfectly well behaved.

Choosing wildflowers that are native to your area is smart in two ways: 1) It will cut down on maintenance, since the plants are well adapted to your growing conditions and 2) It will prevent the heartache of tossing out a mixture of wildflower seeds that make more promises than they keep. Here’s an online tool to help you find wildflowers and native plants suitable for your garden.