My sister and I were planning on starting wildflowers from seed in late March - is this appropriate? Also, should we plant them in the small plastic containers so as to easily insert these containers into the centerpiece containers (old galvanized watering cans/pails) on the wedding day?

Does anyone have advise as to where I can get wildflower seed packets?

Thank you.

Congratulations!!!

I am not very good with seed so I'll defer to others on the timing and growing instructions.

I have used Ernst Conservation Seeds in PA and Wildlife Nurseries, Inc.
P.O. Box 2724, Oshkosh, WI 54903 Tel: 920/231-3780 Fax: 920/231-3554

Here are some nurseries that the NC native plant society reccommends:

Nurseries, listed alphabetically

Carolina Native Nursery
Bill Jones & Brad Martin
1126 Prices Creek Road
Burnsville, NC 28714
Phone/Fax: 828-682-1471
Email: bill@carolinanativenursery.com or brad@carolinanativenursery.com
Website: http://www.carolinanativenursery.com/

Cill Ide Native Plant Nursery
Maureen Seelinger
621 Starburst Lane
Raleigh, NC 27603
Phone: 919-302-6900
Fax: 509-351-5324
Email: info@wetlandplantnursery.com
Website: http://www.wetlandplantnursery.com/
Catalog: free on the web

Cure Nursery
Bill & Jennifer Cure
880 Buteo Ridge Road
Pittsboro, NC 27312
Phone/Fax: 919-542-6186
Email: curenursery@mindspring.com
Website: http://www.curenursery.com
We are a wholesale nursery supplying species native to the southeast in small containers. We have been in business since 1995.

Gardens of the Blue Ridge, Inc.
Rob Fletcher
PO Box 10, 9056 Wildflower Lane
Pineola, NC 28662
Phone: 828-733-2417
Fax: 828-733-8894
Email: gardensblueridge@boone.net
Website: http://www.gardensoftheblueridge.com/
Catalog: $2.00
Family owned business since 1892, specializing in growing native plants.

Growing Wild Nursery
Alistair Glen
193 Murphy Road
Burgaw, NC 28425
Phone: 910-259-6361
Email: info@growingwildnursery.net
Web Site: http://www.growingwildnursery.net
Catalogue: Available online
Specializing in coastal plain native plants. Open by appointment

Hanging Dog Valley Nursery
John & Pam Strawn
2600 Boiling Springs Road
Murphy, NC 28906
Phone/Fax: 828-837-7921
Email: strawn@webworkz.com
Wholesale grower--field grown & container grown

Lamtree Farm
Lee A. Morrison
2323 Copeland Road
Warrensville, NC 28693
Phone: 336-385-6144
Fax: 336-385-2392
Email: bushy@skybest.com
Website: http://www.lamtreefarmnursery.com/
Catalog: $2.00
...We have been propagating native woody ornamentals from seed since 1979 and fully agree with your views on this matter. We also promote these views in our area by talking to schools and our customers...

Mellow Marsh Farm
Sharon Day
1312 Woody Store Road
Siler City, NC 27344
Phone/Fax: 919-742-1200
Email: mellowmarsh@mindspring.com
Website: http://www.mellowmarshfarm.com/
Catalog: online plant list
We grow mostly native wetland plants, herbaceous and woody.

RareBird Nursery
Sharon Funderburk
252 Collie Road
Castalia, NC 27816
Phone: 919-853-2716
Fax: 919-853-3969
Email: rarebirdn@mindspring.com
Website: http://www.rarebirdnursery.com/
We have an emphasis in education as well as sales. A resource center is available for the use of school children & adults, no purchase necessary. Educational walks are also held once a week, seasonally for breeding birds and butterflies. You can bird or butterfly on the grounds at anytime.

Renfrow Hardware & General Merchandise
David Blackley
188 North Trade Street
Matthews, NC 28105
Phone: 704-847-4088
...We are real big in vegetables, herbs, berries and native/perennials, etc. that are edible. If it grows and you can eat it, we try to sell it. Thanks for your letter. I agree with what you are doing. We want every household to have a blueberry bush & fig tree & 'mater plant in its yard.

Additional Links
North Carolina Botanical Garden
http://www.ncbg.unc.edu/sources.htm

You will need to research which flowers to plant, you will want fast growing annuals that bloom in spring or early summer if you want flowers for June. You will also need to research how long the plants you choose take to grow to blooming size and make sure you sow them early enough to be in bloom by June. Finally, you will likely need an indoor grow light centre to get fast growth.

I would suggest going to your local library and signing out some seed growing books.

If you have never grown plants from seed and having flowers for June is essential, you might want to contact a nursery or florist, see what they can source, and price it out as a plan "B".

and congrats! :)