Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members 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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Smarty Plants Question Topics
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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| Sudden death of Texas Mountain Laurel April 14, 2008 Last year, my 15-year-old Mountain Laurel died very suddenly. The leaves began to curl up and turn brown, and it was dead within about 15 days. What happened? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Withering plants recover with water February 17, 2008 Why do withering plants stand up when you give them water? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Effect of epsom salts and gray water on plants December 04, 2007 We live in Phoenix where water is a precious commodity. We have decided to use as much of the gray water as we can for watering our garden, shrubs and trees. One of the suggestions we heard about w... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplant shock in Texas natives garden August 20, 2007 Dear Mr. Smarty Pants, I thought that my new Texas Natives garden was recuperating from ALL the rain. But, suddenly, my Texas Red Bud and the Eve's Necklace next to it have MANY yellow leaves. Is the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Overwatering and fertilization of whiteleaf manzanita July 27, 2007 Hi, I have an Arctostaphylos Dr. Hurd, southern California coast, several years old, 10 feet, that has a few large branches with yellowing and spotted leaves... also dropping many. causes? remedy? sh... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Environmentally friendly and drought resistant alternatives to St. Augustine grass September 28, 2006 As a member of the planning committee of our property owners association in Wimberley TX, we are researching ways to make our landscape environmentally friendly and drought resistant. We have 60,000 ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Recommended irrigation schedule for Austin, TX September 04, 2006 With the very hot summer and the conservation of water so important, could you let me know what would be a good watering schedule? I am fortunate enough to have a sprinkler system so I can set my pop... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplant shock July 27, 2006 Today I dug up a new natchez variety crape myrtle that had only been planted about 3 months ago. It is fairly young. It was very difficult to dig up as it's root were pretty settled in the spot it ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Root rot and transplant shock in Texas betony July 13, 2006 Texas betony is supposed to be drought resistant but also likes to be kept moist, but I have had trouble getting it established. These seem to be undemanding plants I have had entire stems dry up and... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Poor drainage in wildflower bed November 10, 2004 I have a flower bed that has given me difficulty because it has poor drainage but typically receives sun for most of the day. Salvia gregii was the only survivors for the initial landscaping attempt. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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