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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| Wildflowers for April wedding near Austin TX August 31, 2015 Home wedding April 2016. Live North of Austin.on 200 acres ranch and would like to plant wildflowers. What to plant? When to plant? Flowers that will sustain in vase or bouquet? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Native Texas Plants for SC June 22, 2015 I just visited your beautiful facility for the first time and loved it! I'm planning to move to Charleston, SC and would love to replicate some of the wildflower and walkway areas I saw. Would the fo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Can you grow wildflowers on a Zoysia greenroof? June 09, 2015 I have a 700 square foot zoysia grass roof with irrigation on a pool cabana that I would like to sprinkle with wildflower seeds (bluebonnets, indian paintbrush etc) Is this possible? What is the best ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Why is fall the best time to plant Bluebonnet seeds? May 29, 2015 Bluebonnet plants drop their seeds in late May or early June. Why is it recommended to broadcast Bluebonnet seeds in October which is 5 months after the plant drops its seeds? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Failure of TX bluebonnets to thrive May 28, 2015 We have had extraordinary luck with bluebonnets growing in our driveway of decomposed granite--until last year and this year. The bluebonnets seem to be drying up and wilting away. The ones in other a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Indian Paintbrush outnumbering our Bluebonnets this year. May 26, 2015 We noticed we have more Indian paintbrush than bluebonnets in our front yard this year. Our issue is we also have more spear grass than normal. Is there a way to control this grass without killing th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| What to do about bastard cabbage in the Austin area? May 08, 2015 I am noticing bastard cabbage taking over roadsides and medians at an alarming rate where a mixture of native flowers used to bloom. Is it allowable to organize efforts to pull the invasive plants ou... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Can bluebonnet pods be gathered when green in Lockhart, TX May 02, 2015 Can bluebonnet seed pods be gathered when green? Will the seed be capable of germinating next season? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| What about the Bluebonnets at Muleshoe Bend Recreational Area in Spicewood, TX ? April 27, 2015 We had heard about vast field of bluebonnets out at Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area - an LCRA park in Spicewood. We went out today and there are indeed vast fields . . . all where Lake Travis would be ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native Plants for Year Round Interest February 16, 2015 I'm involved in a paradigm shift from traditional bedding plants (petunias, zinnias, begonias, etc.) to native plants. I realize that native plants have natural life cycles where they look pretty bad... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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