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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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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Saturday - April 28, 2012
From: Poolville, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Groundcovers, Grasses or Grass-like
Title: New gardener on lawn for Poolville TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I have never had the opportunity to have a nice yard until recently when I got married. My husband loves a nice yard and we have worked very hard and put in hours of work. We are learning by trial and error. I am certain we have a lot to learn yet. My question is, since I think the foundation is the most important part of a nice yard what are the steps I need to take to get the grass healthy and thick? I live in sandy, central Texas and our 1 acre yard has lots of Bullneddle and weeds.ANSWER:
First, let's talk about what's in your yard now. From Flora of the Rolling Plains, here is an article about Texas Bull-Nettle. We hope you have invested in a pair of sturdy leather garden gloves.
There are several unanswered questions from your e-mail. First, what is the sunlight situation? If you have 6 hours or more of sun where you want your lawn, that simplifies matters some. If you have part shade (2 to 6 hours of sun a day) or shade (less than 2 hours of sun) native grass is going to be a challenge.
Before we start getting into detail, can we suggest you read some of our How-To Articles and previous Mr. Smarty Plants questions that might help you make the decisions about the early steps:
Native Lawns: Habiturf - The Ecological Lawn Note this phrase from the first part of that webpage:
"The Wildflower Center has developed a mixture of native grass species that works well in dry regions of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona. Here are instructions for establishing a native lawn for these climates." We believe that Parker County, in north Central Texas, would probably qualify.
You need to consider how to get rid of what is already there, and would inhibit attempts to establish any lawn. Read this article on Solarization from About.com: Landscaping. This, if you have a full sun yard, should be the first project. This only works if you are doing it in hot weather and using a clear plastic, to permit the heat of the sun to basically cook the offending weeds.Be sure and read carefully the whole article on the Habiturf, because planting it involves far more than just sprinkling seeds, but it will pay you back in lower costs for watering and maintenance.
Since you are a new gardener, we would like for you to read some more How-To Articles that will help you get off on the right track:
A Guide to Native Plant Gardening
Caring for your New Native Plants
Addressing Texas Invasive Plants
These should get you started and maybe when you have made your lawn decision you can get back to us and we'll help you find appropriate plants in our Native Plant Database.
More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
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Best grass for the shade in Austin, TX.
July 01, 2015 - What is the best grass seed for shade in Austin?
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Replenishing a fallow field in Central Geogia.
February 22, 2010 - I have recently taken a 54 acre field out of cultivation and would like to replenish the soil with native cover plants. There is a slope to a portion of the field that is experiencing some erosion. I...
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Native plants for sandy soil and not much water
April 14, 2008 - I am planning a new garden at home and would like to grow native plants that can handle sandy soil and don't need much water. I do not water my gardens.I would prefer plants that can have more than o...
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Fast-growing vine for cinder block wall in Albuquerque
July 26, 2010 - I live in Albuquerque, N.M. and have a cement/cinder block wall and was wondering if there is a vine I can plant which will be easy to grow, grow fast and cover my wall without any type of help like a...
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