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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| Brown spots in St. Augustine grass July 05, 2008 Mr. Smarty Plants, My husband and I are in the Air Force and were recently moved to Cibolo Texas. We built a home and hired a landscaper to finish the yard May 07 (with irrigation system). We laid d... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Source for nitrates and phosphorus (P205) for lawn care July 04, 2008 I recently supplied soil samples from my back yard to my local extension here in Austin. I have a hybrid Bermuda turf grass (TIF 419) that has had its share of ups and downs, and wanted to assess the ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Grasses and flowering plants for Dallas July 02, 2008 I have an area of morning sun next to my house about ten feet deep. I would like to mix a fairly tall grass with two other plants, flowering. What are some of your suggestions? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Low plants to cover bank too steep to mow June 26, 2008 I have a bank along the road that is too steep to mow. This bank faces east and only gets 2 - 4 hours per day of sunlight. I'd like to try ground cover to prevent erosion, however visibility is a p... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| 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... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Retention of soil on bank in Pittsburgh, PA June 15, 2008 I have a steep bank in front of our house in Pittsburgh. We no longer want to mow this bank and wish to plant something that will spread and hold the soil. What do you recommend? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problem with weeds in the buffalograss June 11, 2008 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I'm about to throw in the towel! My back 'lawn' of buffalo grass (609) is almost all 'weeds'! Native ruellia and lyre leaf sage have taken over and as the area has gott... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Landscaping on South Padre Island June 07, 2008 I'm in charge of landscaping at my beachfront condo in South Padre Island and find the wind, salt air, and heat challenging for growing almost anything. We would like to incorporate native plants, b... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Cause of yellowing buffalo grass (Bouteloua dactyloides) June 07, 2008 We are getting large yellow areas in our buffalo grass lawn and think this is probably due to grub worms. Are grub worms the likely culprit and if so, what is the best way to get rid of them? We don... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Short or mowable plant for walkway June 03, 2008 I'd like a short and/or mowable plant to use as a walkway in and around a vegetable garden in upstate NY. I was planning on clover, but I want to use a native plant if possible. The native clovers ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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