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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| topic | question | |
| Watering grass, before or after cutting it August 21, 2008 Should I water my grass before or after cutting it, after it has not been watered in a few days along with dry times? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| What is Andropogon saccharoides? August 06, 2008 I am reading Roy Bedichek "Adventure with a Texas Naturalist" I came across a reference to sage grass (Andropogan saccharoides)p. 23. I searched the data base and didn't any infromation abou... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Controlling sedge in vegetable garden in Mississippi August 03, 2008 I have a veg. garden surrounded by Purple Sedge. The nut grass has been contained/eliminated by replacing all dirt 1' down. Now the surrounding sedge is beginning to creep inward infesting the gard... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Hardy plants for a narrow yard in Illinois July 28, 2008 I have an area in my yard that is approx 35 feet by 5 feet that is shaded on the east by a 4 ft fence and on the west by the house and above by trees. It slopes off to the neighbors yard (so doesn't ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is nimblewil (Muhlenbergia schreberi) a turf grass or a weed July 26, 2008 Mr. SP, I have seen nimblewill (Muhlenbergia schreberi) both promoted as a turf grass and disparaged as an invasive pest. Do you have an opinion on this grass and whether/where/how it should be us... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is Sedum recommended for a greenroof project in Houston July 23, 2008 Would you recommend using Sedum for a green roof project in Houston, Texas? Will the humidity effect the sedum? If sedum would be a poor choice, what would you recommend for Houston? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen native plants for slope in South Carolina July 14, 2008 We would like to plant an evergreen garden in our backyard, which is on a slope. It receives the sun from approx 9-4. We have an above ground pool, and patio area. Would also like a recommendation of ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen native replacement for liriope July 13, 2008 What is a good native replacement for Liriope that is evergreen? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants that are dog-proof in South Texas July 13, 2008 I live in Odem, Texas and would like to use only native plants in my front and backyard. I have two puppies who love to dig. What plants should I use that require minimal attention from me and will no... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Buffalograss for Houston July 08, 2008 Will 609 buffalograss sod perform well in Houston, Texas? I am being told that it will yellow and get filled with weeds and that it won't handle the humidity. Is this all true? Help, please. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| 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 | ||
| Most ecological grass to grow in Austin May 29, 2008 What kind of grass is most ecological to grow in a neighborhood community in Austin? Is Bermuda good? Is Buffalo good? I live in a rental house and there are some bare spots in the yard that I'd l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for narrow strip between sidewalk and fence May 01, 2008 I have a strip of land about 5 inches wide and 30 feet long -- between the fence and the sidewalk -- that I would like to plant something that would look nice and wouldn't require the weedeater every... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Landscaping suggestions for small yard in Alexandria, VA April 20, 2008 Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, My husband and I are preparing to till up most of our back yard and redo it. I'd like to use native plants, but am open to cultivars of them (as in, a column-shaped Ilex glabra... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Possibility of using weeping love grass on property in Keller, Texas April 19, 2008 What do you know about "Weeping Love Grass"? We have heard that it does not require watering (once the roots are established, fertilizing, nor frequent mowing. So we decided to plant it on our 2-a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native buffalograss in sandy loam April 19, 2008 I am in the Austin area and want to plant Native Texas Buffalo Grass in sandy loam from the Colorado River bed. Will this work? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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