Nothing special, Sharon - direct sow and you can sow wheat fairly early because it will take the late frosts after it germinates . I generally sow my wheat the first weekend of May. In the garden I would defnitely plant seeds in groups of at least 15 seeds to form a clump. But leave about an inch between each seed. Each plant will 'stool', or send up more than one stalk of wheat from the bottom but they need to have just a little bit of space to do this (like maybe a square inch or so) or else they won't.

Not only will it look good in the garden, it will be so beautiful in late summer that you won't be able to bear not preserving it, so you'll cut all the stalks, clean them off and put them in a vase or an old creamcan, or tie them up with some raffia or jute and put them underneath the moose head (giggle).

LOL, You're probably right Pudge, I like the idea of the creamcan...no moose but I'll see what I can whip up for poor ol' Buffalo Bill.

Thanks for the tips ;)

Sharon

Pudge, I know you love to take photos, could you please post some photos of your Ornamental Wheat when its growing in the garden and how you use it for your crafts? Pretty please ;)

Sharon

Happy to oblige, Sharon, but I don't grow the wheat in and amongst the flowers and such so it's really not ornamental in the garden, only after I pick it. Here's what it looks like when I'm growing it (kinda boring and croppish looking)

Right around this time, when it's looking straight and full and sort of like a bumper crop is usually when a big wind comes along and knocks it all down, or the birds attack, so I don't have pictures of ripe stuff. Plus, I harvest when the stems are still streaked with green to avoid shattering.

I've already posted photo's on the arrangements I make - here's a couple more - I do a lot of some variation of these

In my own home I have a large bundle of grass & wheat in an umbrella stand, grapevine wreaths overlaid with broomcorn & other seedheads and tied on with sisal or jute, a willow ladder that hangs on the wall with a 'bunch of everything' tied on with raffia. I'm thinking of making a window valance - a piece of wood to span the top of the window with large amounts of dried material glued on. I'm also working on an idea for decorative drying racks - they hang on the wall and hold several bundles of dried whatever - could be herbs, flowers, wheats, etc. Next year I'll be trying to do more with dried flowers, for colour, as well as the wheats and grasses.

Thanks alot Pudge for posting your photos! Amazing craftmans you are!

The wheat sure gets tall then, I'll have to remind myself to sow my seeds in the background maybe with large tomato rings around bunches so that they don't fall down, here we get some heavy winds somedays. Oh yes, I forgot about the birds! Watch now, if I get these to grow well, I'll probably sow an acre or two the following year and then I can be called an official farmer around here. LOL

I think some splashes of colour like Gomphrena or Helichrysum would look great in your arrangements! Did you ever have those in your garden before?

Thanks again Pudge!
Sharon