Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Well first, I’m going to refer you to our “How To Article” on Container Gardening. This article will guide you through the joys (and problems) of growing plants just outside your door. You’ll have control of the soil composition, and the water they will receive. The other variable will be the amount of sunlight they receive, depending of the orientation of your patio.

For plant selection, let me show you how to use our Recommended Species List. Go to our Native Plant Database. Scroll down to the Recommended Species Box and click on the “View Recommended  Species Page” button. Click Central Texas on the map,  and you will get a list of 156 commercially available native plant species suitable for planned landscapes in Central Texas. You can look through the list, but that’s too many plants to deal with now. Go to the Narrow Your Search box and make these selections: select Texas under State, herb under General Appearance, and Perennial under Lifespan (we can change that later). Check Sun (or the condition that exists on your patio) under light Requirement, Moist under Soil Moisture, and 0-1 & 1-3 under height. Click on the Narrow Your Search button and your list shrinks to 16. You can get different lists by changing your selections. Go through the list, and when you click on the Scientific Name of each plant, its NPIN page will come up that tells the plant’s characteristics, growth requirements, and has images in most cases.

Using this information can help you find just the plants for your new planters. Going to our Suppliers Directory will help you find businesses that carry native plants.

Clicking on this link will give you the particulars about our upcoming Spring Plant Sale, April 13 - 15, 2012.