Whether Southern California has a wet or dry winter will make a big difference to the amount of blooming you can expect in springtime wildflowers. The best show of annual wildflowers can be sustained in residential gardens where a little extra irrigation can be provided during a particularly dry year. One of the most colorful and reliable wildflowers for Southern California is the Clarkia. Two easily-grown varieties of Clarkia that will fill your garden with showy whites, soft reds and a wide range of pinks are Farewell to spring (Clarkia amoena) and Mountain Garland (Clarkia unguiculata). The former grows shorter – 10 to 18 inches tall – with large, open-faced pink and white (often bicolored) flowers.

The Mountain Garland has taller clusters of half to one inch flowers that can be planted thickly to cloak open ground with sparking pinks, purples and whites.

All these Clarkias are best planted by scattering seed over lightly raked soil just before rain is predicted. Water occasionally until the seed germinates if rain is scarce. Allow these California wildflowers space to grow by removing competitive weeds. Once plants are established, they will appreciate additional water, but they don’t need it; Clarkias are very drought-tolerant. If they are happy where you plant them they will self-seed and bloom again the following year. These plants love poor soil so long as it is well-drained.