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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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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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Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

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Thursday - June 14, 2007

From: Jackson, MS
Region: Southeast
Topic: Wildflowers
Title: Year-round wildflower display in Mississippi
Answered by: Joe Marcus

QUESTION:

I live in central Mississippi and I'm interested in transforming a 2,000 sq. ft. turf area of my yard into a showy wildflower exhibit that will bloom from now(July) until winter and even possibly through winter. What species of wildflowers would be my best choice and how should I prepare and maintain this area? I'm willing to reseed twice per year if needed for my wildflower show. Any suggestions?

ANSWER:

What a great idea! The Native Plant Database features a search function designed to help with just your kind of project. In the "Combination Search" section of that webpage, select from the menu choices that are appropriate for your requirements. Once you have identified some species that would be good candidates for your project, read articles from the database appropriate to your project. The articles, "Landscaping With Native Plants" and "Wildflower Meadow Gardening" will probably be most useful to you.
 

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