GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: A Jog Down Memory Lane
- k-england
- Sep 30
- 3 min read
By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! October 2025.
A Jog Down Memory Lane
Autumn has a way of filling our gardens—and our memories—with richness and promise. As the days cool and the air turns crisp, there always seems to be a to-do list waiting outdoors. Yet for me, fall also brings back fond recollections of one of my favorite gardening traditions: planting wildflowers.
For many years, at our Santa Fe–style home that we designed and built ourselves in Olivenhain, I made it an autumn ritual to sow wildflower seeds across a wide stretch of open ground. Each season began the same way: a visit to the nursery for packets of seeds, a joyful scattering of them by hand, then a gentle dusting of soil to cover. After a good watering, I left the rest to the autumn rains. Nature always seemed to know just what to do.
There were seasons when I fretted that nothing would come up. Then, in what felt like a small miracle, tiny green shoots would push through the soil, growing into a tapestry of color that took one’s breath away. I never bothered with netting to protect the seed. The birds and I shared that abundance, and because I scattered so generously, there were always plenty of blooms for everyone to enjoy.
If you’re planting wildflowers this month, consider choosing a spot with good sun exposure and well-drained soil. Scatter your seeds just before a period of rain, and give them one deep watering to help them settle in. After that, let nature work her quiet magic. In our area, continue sprinkling the area with water twice a day until the seeds come up and sprout into shoots and then once a week if there are no rains. The reward—whether it’s a meadow of color, or simply a patch brimming with bees and butterflies—will be well worth the wait.
Mama’s book has all the to-dos for October and answers to all of your questions.
Pat Welsh’s Southern California gardening a month-by-month Guide completely revised and updated. This is my mom’s favorite edition of the book (which you can buy secondhand online.)
There are two new videos on my YouTube channel.
One is homemade apple pie that’s in two parts and the brand new one is homemade marinara sauce made from my neighbor’s homegrown tomatoes and fresh herbs from the garden. The link to my YouTube channel called, “Live the Life You Envision with Fran,” is at the bottom of this article. Comments would be appreciated.
Enjoy your gardens and working in them as the air hopefully becomes crisp and cool.
Happy Gardening!
~Francesca
Artist, author, photographer, fly-fisher woman, Francesca Filanc grew up in old Del Mar and these days lives, paints and gardens in historic Olivenhain with her two dogs.
Find her art and writings here:
She can be found on social media:
"Live The Life You Envision with Fran" YouTube Channel:
Have gardening questions or want to learn more about Francie’s art?
Contact: Franfilanc@gmail.com
