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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
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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Friday - November 21, 2008
From: Houston, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Wildflower Center
Title: Living lightly on the land
Answered by: Damon Waitt
QUESTION:
Are most of the materials used in the Center recyclable materials? For instance, the wood floors and HVAC systems? Thanks, Joel RodriguezANSWER:
When it opened in 1995, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center was "the" model of environmental sustainability. The wood floors are made from reclaimed longleaf pine, stone for buildings was locally quarried, site rubble was used in building foundations and the rainwater collection system was the largest of its kind in North America. Add to that our native plant gardens which require less water and maintenance and you have a recipe for "living lightly on the land" as Mrs Johnson would say. In fact, the Wildflower Center is in the process of applying for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Existing Building certification and is pioneering the Sustainable Sites program which extends the principles of LEED's out into the landscape. So, yes, the Wildflower Center did use recyclable materials and we continue to be a leader in eco-friendly design and construction.
More Wildflower Center Questions
What are those bushes with purple flowers around the Wildflower Center?
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We were just at the Wildflower Center earlier this week (March 1 or so, 2009), and there were several large bushes with purple flowers on them. The very helpful docent told me what they wer...
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Design and installation of trails at Wildflower Center
July 24, 2005 - I am a Park Commissioner in a city near Austin and am researching a firm to help design a trail system in our park. Would you please tell me who designed and installed the trails at the Wildflower Ce...
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Source for Signs at the Wildflower Center
January 24, 2011 - Hello. Where can we buy the black, metallic plant identification tags used at the Wildflower Center?
Thanks in advance.
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True date for Earth Day
March 09, 2006 - My grandson asked me to verify the correct date for Earth Day 2006.
Sites on the internet say
(a) Earth Day USA is April 22, 2006.
(b) International Earth Day is M...
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Wheelchair access to the Wildflower Center from Converse TX
March 09, 2013 - Hi. I hope you can help. I've written two emails to the Contact Dept but to no avail in receiving a response. I wanted to know if wheelchairs can access the flower fields and the trails? I get the fe...
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