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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers Nan Hampton, Jimmy Mills and Barbara Medford to be the culpable and capable parties. Yet, others think staff members Damon Waitt, Joe Marcus and Philip Hawkins might play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

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Questions From Near You

CEDAR HILL, TX
Organic means for ridding garden of stinging ants
Dear Mr. Smarty Pants, I have a butterfly garden that is filled with native plants the butterflies LOVE! However I have a colony of red ants that have moved in. I need to trim some of the more inva...
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Cedar Hill, TX
Killing mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) with propane torch
Can I kill mesquite with intense fire, such as a 1.2 million BTU propane torch? I know mesquite bounces back from cutting at the soil line. The trees are in Elgin. Thanks
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cedar hill, TX
Evergreen native shrubs for poor drainage area in Cedar Hill, TX
Hi! I have one (big!) bed in on the front of my house. Due to the way the house/motorcourt is built, that area (when it rains as much as it did last year!) doesn't drain well. I now have to replac...
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cedar hill, TX
Pruning of native perennial blooming plants
Hello - I am still a newbie at using Native Texas plants (but loving them!), and I need pruning assistance. When (and how much) do I prune: hot lips salvia, hummingbird bush (anisthcanthus wrightii...
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Cedar Hill, TX
Flowers for sunny and shady gardens in Cedar Hill TX
Last year I spent way too much on flowers for my sunny and shady flower beds. They all died from the heat, even after constant watering. What flowers could I plant in sunny and shady flower beds that ...
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Cedar Hill, TX
Best mulch from Cedar Hill TX
What is the best mulch to use around trees,azaleas and plants in Cedar Hill, Tx?
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Cedar Hill, TX
Butterflies and larval hosts in Dallas County
My class is starting a butterfly habitat at school. We have researched plants that attract butterflies, however we forgot to look for plants that feed the caterpillars and we want to provide the expe...
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Cedar Hill, TX
Why is Mentzelia oligosperma called chickenthief?
Could you tell me why Mentzelia oligosperma is sometimes called chickenthief?
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Duncanville, TX
Shaping cenizo in Duncanville TX
Our Silverado Sage, which we expected to be 4' to 5' high and wide based on the label when we purchased it about 10 years ago, is nearly 7' tall and very random in shape (not the evenly rounded sha...
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Duncanville, TX
How to grow a non-native rue plant in Duncanville TX
Can I grow a Rue plant from a clipping? If so, what do I need to do? Please explain step by step. I'm new to all of this. Thanks
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Duncanville, TX
Gathering seeds of Indian Blanket from Duncanville TX
We have a field full of Indian Blanket that are blooming now and would like to share some seeds with our friends! Where is the seed on them and I take it we wait till they are done blooming to get the...
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Duncanville, TX
What is the best time of year to transplant a young pecan tree?
What is the best time of year to transplant a young pecan tree?
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DeSoto, TX
Identifying native grasses in DeSoto TX
I want to plant my 1.5 acre yard in a native grass; there are already some grasses growing there. How do I identify this grass? Thanks
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Ovilla, TX
Trees and shrubs that are not poisonous to horses
What non poisonous trees or shrubs or hedges would work for being near horses?
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Ovilla, TX
Identification of tree in Ovilla TX area
Can you identify a tall,(wild?) tree covered with fragrant, pink/lavender blooms? Have seen several in the Ovilla area this spring.
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Midlothian, TX
More on bluebonnets
I am flying a photographer in on April 7, 2005, for a special art project on Bluebonnets. We have 3 days set aside for the shot. Where are THE best places to capture Bluebonnets in the wild?
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Midlothian, TX
Making Tea from Croton monanthogynus
Do you have any other information on the value of croton monanthogynus as a tea? Nutritive value? Possible adverse reactions?
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Midlothian, TX
Locales for photographing wildflowers in Dallas, TX area
My daughter has a project for school where she has to find and take her picture with 20 different Texas wildflowers and identify them. We have found some of the more common ones, but I was wondering ...
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Midlothian, TX
Non-toxic Groundcover for North-Central Texas
I need a creeping ground cover for shade that is non-toxic to dogs. I had planned on Swedish ivy until I read it was toxic. Is Asian jasmine toxic? Or, do you have any suggestions?
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Midlothian, TX
How to combat weeds growing in mulch
Trying to decide on either ground cover plants, or some type of gravel. We have a new house where the builder has planted small shrubs in the full sun flower bed next to house. The bed has mulch at th...
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Mansfield, TX
Phyla nodiflora as a ground cover
I'm considering using frogfruit in my lawn and between stepping stones. However, I'm concerned about it being invasive. The tree is in the front lawn and don't want it to take over the Bermuda law...
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