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Evergreen perennials for a pond bank in Texas
June 18, 2015
We want evergreen perennial plants for the banks of our small pond. The banks are eroding and we need to help keep them strong. We have ducks in the pond and lots of turtles. We would love something ...
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Poolside plants for East Texas
June 18, 2015
What are the best plants, shrubs, ornamental trees, etc. for poolside planting in East Texas?
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Aquatic Plants for a Small Pond in Missouri
June 11, 2015
We have a small backyard pond (4' x 5' x 2' deep) with a shelf for marginal plants, and a pump that feeds a nice little creek and waterfall into the pond. We don't really want fish, but we'd lik...
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Deterring geese from a wildflower garden
February 28, 2015
I've moved into a home with a large pond beyond the grass yard. I intend to plant a sunflower house with lots of other plants as part of the structure, such as flowering vines, clover, mint and thyme...
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Plants to replace Phragmites australis (Common reed) in Cedar Ridge Preserve
February 25, 2015
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I live in the DFW area and volunteer at a preserve (Cedar Ridge). We are constantly battling the common reed, Phragmites australis, around the pond. I am wondering what shou...
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Eliminating Najas flexilis from a pond
December 22, 2014
What method would be effective in eliminating Najas Flexilis from a pond?
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Specifying sizes of plants for pond edge plantings in Austin area
December 19, 2014
I am working on a list of pond edge plantings for the Austin area that will be in the fluctuation zone and I have my list of my plants but I need to know how to spec the sizes and to make sure my list...
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Erosion control for edge of artificial lake in California
August 14, 2013
How about erosion control at the edge of an artificial lake in Southern California? Juncus and ..?
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Plants for freestanding water in Oklahoma
July 28, 2013
I have an overflowing gutter and the ground below becomes a muddy hole. I'd like to put a basin or pot in/or above the ground with a rain chain. Are there any plants--shrubs or otherwise that flouris...
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How to keep plants alive in a pot beside a patio waterfall.
May 13, 2013
Mr. Smarty Plants, I have a waterfall on my patio and I can't keep my plants alive in the flower pot next to waterfall. Is that beacuse of algae produced by waterfall? If so, can you please recomme...
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Source for Saltmarsh cordgrass from Houston
April 16, 2013
I work for a consulting firm and we are looking to do more of our wetland creation/restoration. Do you know where one can purchased Spartina alterniflora?
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Deer Resistant Pond Plants
March 14, 2013
I am looking for deer resistant aquatic plants to use around a natural swimming pond in San Marcos, TX. The plants will be used to filter the water in a separate section of the pond. There will be a p...
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Tropical Texas landscape from Houston
March 04, 2013
Do you know of any public (or at least photographed) place in Texas that has been landscaped entirely with native "tropical-looking" (i.e. evergreen but NOT conifer and NOT succulent/arid) species? ...
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Tree with stilt roots for Louisiana bog garden
February 07, 2013
Does Louisiana have any native trees with stilt roots? I would like one to go with my cypress and tupelo bog garden. I have several native plants such as spider lilies and blue flag irises, but I'm...
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Plants for water park
January 03, 2013
Hi, I usually have no problem locating the right species for a given situation, but I may need some advice for this. I am looking for plants -- from annual & perennial flowers to shrubs and small t...
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Note on pond over oak roots from Round Rock TX
December 23, 2012
Thanks very much to Barbara for answering my question about the live oaks - covering parts of their root systems with a pond. Your answer inspired discussion, and we changed our pond plan and moved th...
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Cover oak roots with a pond from Round Rock TX
December 22, 2012
Hello! I have looked for this answer. We have 2 huge old beautiful live oaks. One is very close to the patio and house, and the other is about 20 feet of the house. Thus, part of their root systems ar...
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Propagation information from Queens NY
October 04, 2012
Hello. I would appreciate information on when to plant the following plants. I found on the USDA website that all these plants could withstand the cold. ALthough they can withstand harsh weather, ...
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Landscaping with water garden from Pendleton SC
August 15, 2012
Searching for native plants in SC. Your results miss some plants listed on your site. I noticed this reading the Mr. Smarty Plants response to "Edible Plants for North GA" We aren't far apart. ...
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Planting times for aquatic plants from Winston Salem NC
July 12, 2012
I need to know the correct time of year to plant the following pond plants Swamp Rose Mallow, Southern Blue Iris, Soft Rush, American Bur-reed, American lotus, Woolgrass and Duck Potato Is it better...
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Plants for swan food
July 03, 2012
Dear Mr Smarty Pants, I have a farm in VA with a large pond or lake fenced in. I am rescuing a pair of swan and want to grow plants around the fence and pond that they can eat. Could you suggest an...
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Plant ID at the Wildflower Center from Austin
June 18, 2012
I was at the Wildflower Center today and loved the green plants with delicate white flowers that were in both clay pots in front of the auditorium. Please let me know the name of the plants.
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Plants for a pond edge in IN
June 08, 2012
Hello, I live in Southern Indiana. I care very much about reinforcing native plants for my region & not planting anything invasive. I had a pond built last year & need some suggestions for native ...
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Perennial plants for full sun around pond
April 28, 2012
I am looking for full sun perennial plants for the exterior of a water pond. Planting suggestions?
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Plants for pond, for incline and area with poor soil
April 23, 2012
I have three plant recommendation questions for Austin, TX. 1. I have a large pond that I would like to put native aquatic plants in. What are some hardy aquatic natives I could put in? The pond ...
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Hungry turtles trample pond in Houston Texas
October 17, 2011
I have a very large back yard pond (actually, a former swimming pool) that's home to a bullfrog, four Red-eared slider turtles, and scads of gambusia (little mosquito eating fish). I'd like to add n...
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Plant for a salt water pool in Australia
September 27, 2011
What plant is a perfect plant for small areas around a salt water pool?
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Wildflowers for a pond in MO
September 10, 2011
I have a spring fed pond in Missouri and would like to plant perennial wildflowers in the area around it. Are there any that would do better or others that are not recommended? Thank you.
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Problems with non-native bi-color iris from Spring Branch TX
August 18, 2011
Bi colored iris. I have four plants planted around our water feature last fall. Up until recently they all looked very healthy, yet not blooming. Several weeks ago I noticed that two of the plants ...
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Looking for grasses for slope around retention pond in Florida
August 02, 2011
I live in St. Petersburg, FL on a large retention pond. Most of my neighbors on the pond have seawalls. I do not nor do my neighbors to my left and right. I am interested in colorful grasses to put...
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Restoring a slope in the Mississippi sandhill region
August 01, 2011
We are building on 5 acres (leaving 60% as is, natural). Only building a small (900-1200 sq ft house) & clearing 1 acre of the valley for a pond. There is a steep slope (where we had to put field dra...
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Erosion prevention on shady Pennsylvania stream
July 28, 2011
I'm looking for a few species to plant along a stream channel to help reduce erosion during heavy rains. The soil is moist and in full shade. Ferns and thorny bushes are the only current vegetation...
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Water absorbing plant from Surbiton, England
May 21, 2011
Ground soggy with rain, is there a plant that will absorb water?
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Plants for NY wetland yard
April 30, 2011
We have standing water in our yard for the entire spring and sometimes summer if it's a rainy one. We dug a ditch and found that our yard has a natural spring, which explains a lot. I need to know ...
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Need an attractive plant to help stabilize a wet area in East Stroudsburg PA.
April 20, 2011
We have a small run off from one pond to another. At the bottom of the slope, the area is always wet--and not from the run off. Is there a low growing plant that would provide a root system to help st...
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Plant to stabilize a stream bank in PA
April 02, 2011
Native plants to stabilize steep stream bank in semi shade to full shade. Southeastern PA. Thanks
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Plants for a pond bank in NE Pennsylvania
January 13, 2011
I had a 3/4 acre pond built this fall in Northeastern Pennsylvania (Susquehanna county; zone 4). The pond banks are packed, hard rocky clay. What plants can I plant in the 3 foot bank between pond ...
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More than you want to know about planting a pond in Austin Texas
December 10, 2010
Winterizing Water Garden QA from Nov 27 Austin American-Statesman: Would the garden (60-gal aluminum) with those plants (papyrus, horsetail, water lily) be placed in the sun, shade, part shade or ? I ...
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Winter tank pond care in Austin Texas
November 09, 2010
Suggestions for winterizing a water garden in Austin Texas. Water contained in a 60 gallon aluminum horse tank. Garden contains papyrus, horsetail and water lily. There are no fish in the pond and no...
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Plants for wet soil in turtle enclosure in Virginia
September 03, 2010
We recently installed a turtle pond in our backyard in Arlington, VA. We built an enclosure around the pond to protect the turtle from raccoons and herons, and left some open area for the turtle to g...
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Need water absorbing plants in Syracuse, NY
August 18, 2010
I'm Looking for water absorbing plants and shrubs -not so much trees. My rain barrels and downspouts are still creating too much run off. I want to line a walkway and keep rainwater run-off from drai...
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Can Juncus effusus winter outside in Mountville PA?
June 28, 2010
If we have the juncus effusus spiralis outside in a small pond and you say to let it outside in the winter does that mean we should let it in the pond? thanks for your time
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Flowering vine for trellis behind fountain in Anaheim Hills CA
June 05, 2010
We are looking for a flowering vine to plant on a trellis surrounding a water fountain. The fountain splashes leaving the soil constantly wet. We have tried numerous vines, but they all die due to t...
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Plants for edge of a field pond in Missouri
June 03, 2010
I have a 25ft x 50ft field pond in Versailles, MO. What do you suggest for the water's edge plantings so that we might fish over them. Weed eating is eating ME up!
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Plants for area around a fountain in full sun near Dallas
May 19, 2010
I'm seeking advice on what I can plant around the base of a fountain, in full sun, that can tolerate the fountain water splash/spray. I'm seeking something that can be maintained to a maximum h...
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Remake of church grotto in Highlands, TX
April 24, 2010
I'm looking to reform our Church Grado. I would like some beautiful (fitting) flowers that are native to Texas. Low upkeep preferred. Possible some nice water flowers to put into waterways. Plan to a...
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Best time to plant wetland plants in NY
April 19, 2010
Hello Mr. Smarty Plants - I'm working on a fresh water, shoreline wetland creation project in New York State. I've created two zones of native wetland plantings, an emergent shallow marsh zone ...
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Need help replacing a non-functioning pond in Houston, TX.
March 30, 2010
I have a non-functioning, shell-shaped, concrete pond in a shaded part of my backyard that has been a great place to grow mosquitoes since I got this place. I have decided that it is time for a chang...
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Plants for floodplain in Fairfield, New Jersey
March 21, 2010
I have an easy question for you... I hope... We just moved into the floodplains of NJ in Fairfield and are interested in some plants. We would like to know what plants are best suited to grow in flood...
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Wetland Plants for Michigan
March 20, 2010
I have an area on my wooded property with a wetland marsh area that often puddles with water along the perimeter in the spring. It is very shaded and wet but I wanted to camouflage the perimeter of t...
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Plants for wet soils in North Carolina
October 03, 2009
I'm looking for evergreen plants (shrubs or ground cover)that will tolerate wet conditions for the zone 8 area of North Carolina. The local garden centers here do not stock these types of plants, eve...
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Poor drainage in clay soils in Langhorne PA
September 15, 2009
Our backyard has very poor drainage, to the point of up to 3 inches of rain can sit until it is evaporated. Talking to neighbors, they informed us that there use to be a terrain that ran through our ...
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Plants for a pond bank in Gladwin MI
September 13, 2009
Our acre-size pond bank is sloped and high maintenance--needs mowed. We have lots of deer. We would like to plant a low-lying ground cover to eliminate mowing the bank--any suggestions?
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Water-loving native plants for Pottstown, PA
September 11, 2009
I live about 40 miles west of Philadelphia. I am looking for a water absorbing evergreen tree/bush/plant that I could plant in the rear of my yard. We get a small stream every good rain and the back...
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Native water plants for bio-retention pond in North Carolina
July 22, 2009
I am looking for North Carolina native plants that can take part shade and very wet conditions (bioretention pond environment). Any suggestions?
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Plants for retention ponds in Grand Haven, MI
July 21, 2009
I am president of a condo association. We have three retention ponds on the property. From two of them we pump water for irrigation so the water level goes up and down. We are going to try to stabiliz...
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Plants for edge of intermittent stream
July 05, 2009
I have a friend in Washington DC who is having runoff problems. She is having a drycreek installed. What kind of plants are native to her area that will withstand flash flood and intermittent dry co...
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Understory plants for Lake Forest IL
June 21, 2009
We have a large mostly hardwood lot in Lake County. It floods when it rains hard and remains damp most of the year due to the amount of shade and clay based top soil. Besides the hardwood trees and ...
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Native plants for a littoral zone in Fort Myers, Florida
June 05, 2009
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, What native plants would you recommend for the littoral zone on a pond in Fort Myers Florida? Damon's Mom
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Native plants for a bioswale in Irving, TX
March 30, 2009
Mr. Smarty Plants, what plants would you recommend for a bioswale in the north Texas (Dallas) area?
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Pond plants that ducks will NOT eat
March 27, 2009
What kind of pond plants are there that ducks will NOT eat?
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Planting instructions for horsetail
March 10, 2009
Re: Equisetum hyemale L. Canuela, Horsetail, Scouring rush, Scouringrush horsetail I bought a 1-gal Equisetum hyemale for my seep/pond. In searching the web, I find conflicting planting instructions...
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Request to use images from Image Gallery
February 04, 2009
The Nueces River Authority is publishing a riparian plant guide and we would like permission to use one or more of your plant photos. Can you direct me to a person or process for this. Thanks.
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Plants for under a fountain splash line in California
January 29, 2009
What plants should we plant under our fountain's splash line in our Mediterranean style courtyard? The area will get wet from the fountain's splashing and have "full" sun. We are on a rock ridge...
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Flowers for a pond area that will not hold water
January 07, 2009
We are in area code 77437 in the Coastal Plains of Texas. We have a 1 acre pond that will not hold water (dug to deep into the clay)and we would like to fill this pond with flowers (maybe wildflowers...
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Plants for pavilion over fountain in Washington State
December 26, 2008
I have a tall fountain in a 7 foot square which is surrounded by pavers. Inside the 7' square there is about a 2' mulched soil bed around the center fountain and an iron type pavilion that goes up h...
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Overwintering a Juncus effusus in Great Neck, NY
October 23, 2008
Can I over winter a juncus effusus spiralis indoors or must it be kept outdoors? Whether indoors or outdoors, what is the proper way to keep it alive during the winter months?
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Plants for wetlands in Illinois
September 21, 2008
I have a home that is just above a wetlands in Northern Illinois. It is on a river and the wetlands go from bone dry to under 3 feet of water. The shoreline is beginning to erode where there are no tr...
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Is the Obedient Plant a bog plant?
August 16, 2008
I purchased 2 obedient plants at a farmer's market in Michigan. As I was unfamiliar with this plant, the merchant told me it did well in full sun. It was just what I needed. When I got home I look...
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Plants for edge of pond
June 23, 2008
We live in Atlanta, Texas. My husband built a beautiful pond that is almost an acre in size. We are fortunate in that one side of the pond is covered by trees and a natural ground cover that keeps w...
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Native plants for retention pond in Michigan
June 10, 2008
What native plants would you recommend a for a southeast Michigan retention pond perimeter? Also are there native water plants that help algae control? The pond is about 75x30 feet and ranging from ...
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The origin of Juncus effusus var. Big Twister
May 04, 2008
Juncus effusus, var. 'Big Twister' We're trying to figure out the nativity of this thing, and whether it is safe to plant in our very wet rain garden. Thank you for any assistance...
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Effect of herbicides on frogs
December 10, 2007
I live in a planned development adjacent to a natural waterway that contains native and non native plants. It also is an amphibian habitat with many frogs. The landscape manager has sprayed the ar...
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Tradescantia as a water plant
June 13, 2007
I have a spiderwort plant, and when I found it at the nursery, it was in water by the pond plants, (I had no idea what kind of plant it was at the time) So I bought it, took it home, and repotted it w...
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Companion plants for irises
April 22, 2007
Hello...what do you suggest as a companion plant for irises? I live in the Texas Hill Country. Thanks.
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Native plants for water garden in Garland, TX
June 13, 2006
Hello, I was interested in creating a water garden-koi pond in the landscaping and was interested to know what plants you would suggest for this usage that would be perennial? Furthermore I was intere...
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Native plants for seasonal poor drainage
May 16, 2006
I have an area in my front yard that has a drainage ditch running through it. When it rains, that area stays very wet. What kind of plants available for sale will work in this situation?
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Tropical-looking landscape in Austin, TX
March 24, 2005
I'd like to have a tropical-looking landscape in my front yard. What plants would you recommend for Austin, Texas? I would prefer plants that can stay outside year-round, but will take suggestions on...
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Water Gardening
February 28, 2005
I took the landscaping class several years ago, and now would like to put in a section of aquatic plants. Starting small, I was initially looking for a ceramic bowl-type container, and I need to know...
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BEST plants for keeping water clean
February 19, 2005
We're in the process of building a small swimming pool that will utilize Texas native bog and marginal plants to clean the water for the pool. Do you know of some good resources (i.e. online, books, b...
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Native plant water gardens
March 20, 2004
I’d like to have a native plant water garden. How do I begin?
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