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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| Plantings of Castilleja in Texas April 04, 2012 I am a graduate student interested in studying different species of paintbrush (Castilleja) in Texas. I understand that the Texas Dept of Transportation has been seeding wildflowers along Texas highwa... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Specifications for a property in Corning CA March 29, 2012 Drought resistant, deer resistant, low growing (ground cover), and shade tolerant request: I am looking for a variety of species that not only fit the above preferences, but also a few other things. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Tall perennials for a sunny North Carolina border March 26, 2012 I need border plants for in front of a picket fence along front sidewalk. Space is only approx 1'6" wide and widening is not an option. So far I have daylilies, cannas, Mexican petunias, daisies, i... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Flowers for October wedding in Rockport TX March 26, 2012 Hello Mr. Smarty Plants! I live in Rockport and am getting married in October. What can I plant that will be blooming then to have fresh cut flowers for the wedding? Also, when should I plant? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Decline ot Heartleaf rosemallow from Austin March 26, 2012 My tulipan del monte -a new small plant from the wildflower center--did great all winter and was forming a new flower bud, just died in a matter of a few days. It looks like it "dried up", no visib... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Planting of Habiturf from Smithville TX March 25, 2012 Are Habiturf and Thunderturf the same? and, how late in the year can I plant Habiturf? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Flowers for an August wedding in Driftwood TX March 25, 2012 For an August 4th wedding in Driftwood, Texas we want fragrant flowers and wildflowers that we can grow in our garden. We have four raised beds (12 ft. x 6 ft.) in a fenced area in which we've grown ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Trees safe near walls from Rio Grande City March 24, 2012 What trees can be planted near the house that the roots won't break my walls? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Mountain laurel planting over Frederickburg limestone March 22, 2012 We have rocky limestone shelves on our property. We want to plant a mountain laurel. Are the roots strong enough to break through the limestone or should we try to find another location? The limestone... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Best way to plant sedges on a slope in Fairfax, VA. March 20, 2012 Best way to plant sedges on a slope. WE are in the LONG process of trying to convert our backyard to a native wildlife friendly habitat. The slope is about 30 degress and it's a large space 1/2 acr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Prospects for newly-seeded Habiturf lawn from Round Rock TX March 17, 2012 Re: Habiturf installation Can you provide feedback about how my newly seeded Habiturf lawn should look at various stages? I think I prepped the lawn properly, but I may have planted too early (... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Planting Habiturf in Houston, TX> March 08, 2012 First, I want to say thank you for such an informative site. You say that the Buffalograsses tend to do well in drier and well drained soil. My house has a lawn that drops about 10 inches in about... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| low-growing evergreen shrubs for thin soil March 05, 2012 Thanks to the winter freeze, we'll be starting fresh with the plants in the bed along the front of our house. The bed is about 13' long and faces the west, so it gets afternoon/ evening sun but no ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| pruning crape myrtle (ugh, non-native) March 05, 2012 We would like to plant a Dynamite Crape myrtle in front of our front window. They grow 20' to 30'. Can I trim it each year to about 15' to 20'? Should we plant it approximately 5 feet from the ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| killing grass on 1 acre before planting Habiturf March 04, 2012 I have an acre of full sun lawn on a slight slope in Dallas - would the habiturf be appropriate & if so, how do I go about killing off the existing weeds/crab grass before installing? Removing 3 in o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| High water table in Glewood Springs CO March 03, 2012 We are considering the purchase of a home in Glenwood Springs, CO (elev. Approximately 5,000 ft) and find it strange that while neighboring properties in the subdivision have beautiful landscaping wit... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Do I need to cover my Habiturf planting with straw? March 02, 2012 I'm preparing to seed the Habiturf in my front yard in a couple of weeks. My dad has suggested I spread some straw to help protect the seeds. Your thoughts? Thanks!!! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Planting wildflowers in spring for spring bloom March 02, 2012 I was wondering if it is possible to plant wildflowers around this time of year, and expect them to bloom in the spring still? I have heard that many wildflowers germinate in the fall. Are there c... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need plants to control erosion on a hillside in Nashville, TN. February 28, 2012 Recently, a rogue contractor scraped all the sod off of my Tennessee hillside. Now the clay soil is exposed and washing away quickly. The hill slope is approximately 30 degrees. In the spring I'd ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How do I plant seeds harvested from my flower bed? February 28, 2012 In early Spring of 2011 I planted a new raised bed 75'x4' in size, with wildflower seeds obtained from a commercial nursery in Corpus Christi. I was taken back by their cost relative to the volume o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plantings for beneath a red oak in Lubbock TX February 23, 2012 What would you recommend to plant in a two tiered raised bed facing west, totally blocked from the east, thus receiving only the afternoon sun? A 21 year old red oak sits in the middle of the upper ra... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Best time to plant Habiturf in Austin February 20, 2012 When is the best time to plant Habiturf seeds? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Spot for communion and tree planting on Long Island February 20, 2012 I'm planning to combine my son's communion and a tree planting memorial for his uncle/godfather that passed on Valentine's Day. I'm looking for a venue on Long Island that can combine both on May ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Need perennials for front beds in south-facing house ib San Angelo, TX. February 12, 2012 What perennials will work in my front beds of southern facing house in West Texas? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Yucca filamentosa suffering from damp feet in Houston February 09, 2012 Last year, I planted three enormous and gorgeous Yucca Filamentosa in my backyard. Two are thriving but the third started turning yellow then brown from the bottom up after a few weeks of rains. S... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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