Spend a day with Steve Atwood and you’re guaranteed to learn a few new words! That’s because he knows the names of hundreds of varieties of wildflower seeds. For forty years Steve has collected, processed, and packaged wildflower seeds from around the world. His father bought the Clyde Robin Seed Company in 1959 and passed on his passion for seeds to a new generation. Today, Steve is the president of the Clyde Robin Seed Company located in the city of Hayward.

After years of hard work and perseverance, the business has blossomed into a world renowned seed company. It now produces over 600 varieties of seeds including wildflower seeds, vegetable seeds, and some seeds that help farmers feed their cattle and horses. Cows often treat themselves to green pastures created by a mixture of native California grass seeds and clover seeds. So, whether the seeds are used for grazing areas, erosion control, vegetables, or beautiful gardens…the Clyde Robin Seed Company has it all. Steve explains, "We market the seeds to growers like us or to companies that are putting it into packets for grocery stores or hardware stores. We also market it to farmers in larger quantities."

After the seeds are collected from the wild, they’re shaken up a bit to remove any debris. As Steve says, it’s similar to panning for gold! One of the company’s specialties is wildflower seed mixtures for the home garden. Some attract butterflies, some attract beneficial insects, and some simply add color and character to the landscape. Steve says the best part is that all of the seeds are easy to plant! He showed us how to plant a wildflower mixture in just a few easy steps. First, we raked the soil to create a clean surface. Then we leveled it off. Next, it was time to scatter the seeds or as Steve says "feed the chickens." In the next step, we gently raked a small amount of the soil back over the seeds. Lastly, it’s important to keep the area moist with water for fourteen days after planting. In 30 to 40 days, we should have a beautiful mixture of wildflower blooms.

If you’d like more information about wildflower seed mixtures, visit the Clyde Robin Seed Company website at www.clyderobin.com. Or call this toll free number:

1-800-647-6475.

If you have additional questions or comments about this story, please E-mail Producer/Reporter Allison Lund Thompson at athompson@kvie.org.