Plant Nerd - At your service
Posted by a_polite_redditor@reddit | plano | View on Reddit | 53 comments
Hi Plano - Are you tired of mowing and watering your grass during these hot north Texas summers? Are you scared to plant in your yard, because of the fear that our cold snaps will kill anything you put in the ground? Are you considering re-sodding your lawn with new grass? Have you ever thought about re-wilding part of your yard?
I think there is a better way, and I want to help you spend less time watering, less time cutting the grass, and more time enjoying your yard with native plants. I have spent the last 10 years learning which plants can withstand the heat and cold weather our climate brings, and I would like to help you with your yard.
I am not selling anything - This is a pilot program focused on introducing more homeowners and yards to native and sustainable plants. I would like to choose a few people who may be interested in installing native plants in their yard. I will consult with you at your property, and provide you with a curated list of plants and locations where the plants will thrive the best in your yard. Basically, I will provide you with a shopping list and additional details to help your plantings perform their best, at no cost to you.
If you are interested, please let me know. If you have any questions about plants, I am happy to answer those here on Reddit as well. Thank you!
[Tickseed, Gaura, Anise Hyssop, Redbud]()
LalalaSherpa@reddit
Would love some low-growing very drought tolerant plant ideas for our completely unshaded hellstrip. Open to plants that work well with partial hardscaping.
Any ideas appreciated!
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
For full sun low growers, i would suggest some Zexemenia (pretty, low growing bush with yellow flowers), Coreopsis (many different variety's and flower types), Blanket Flower (low growing annual which will reseed), Lemon Bee Balm (annual, about knee height, pretty white/light purple flower), Blackfoot Daisy (profuse white flowers, low growing, very drought tolerant).
TxDirtRoad@reddit
Definitely curious. Tried going the unmowed St Augustine route - assuming someone was mad my yard didn't look like a curated golf course and reported me to the city.
mooonpie@reddit
I'm late to this post as well. Sent you a DM, but would love to get in touch with you if you have some availability!
adubt@reddit
Just saw this post - are you still helping with this? I just got a house in west Plano, and was searching for best things to plant.
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
Congrats on the new house! I can help for sure, but it depends on your yards needs. Do you need height, color, texture, shade coverage? I put some suggestions below - the trick with DFW gardening is surviving the serious heat as well as the very cold temps we occasionally get. I lean on natives when possible. Shades of Green has most of the below. This will get you started, but if you want more ideas or a more intensive design plan, let me know.
my Fav for landscape height: Redbud trees, Podocarpus, Anise Hyssop
Fav for Color: Gaillardia, Salvias, Lantanas (needs sun),
Fav for Shady Areas: Columbine, Gold Leaf Acuba, Wadelia (spreading, pretty yellow flowers), Spiderwort
Fav in General: Redbuds, Salvia, Zexemenia, Flame Acantus, BeeBalm.
amblopez1@reddit
hello! wondering if you could help me identify these monstrous weeds(?) that are growing at my business and what i should use to kill them off for good
alphabet_sam@reddit
I am sure you have plenty on your hands, but was wondering if you had a recommendation on some ground cover with some height to it. My front yard is basically just dirt and weeds at this point (bought last year and it was like this) and I’d like some short-ish plants that can have some density and also cover the millions of acorns dropped by my oak tree.
The left half of the front lawn (split by the entry walkway) is full sun, the right has a huge oak tree in the middle of it that provides good shade.
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
Gaura and Verbena have a spreading habit and can provide some color for sun. Autumn Sage, or Any color Sallvia/Sage are great for tough dry sunny areas. If you live near a creek, pick up some Anisse Hyssop, it will bring in the hummingbirds. For under the tree, wood ferns are very useful to cover up the ground, and providing height. If you want some color and size, Try a Turks Cap in a shady spot in your yard - they will get about 4ftx4ft full size. Add in some Spiderwort for some grassy ground texture and occasional shade color.
In the sun, if its a dry area, don't leave too much space between plants. you can use the shade of the plants around it to help keep the roots cool. And mulch, mulch, mulch. if you plan on planting in a dry area - mulch it first, and leave it for a couple of weeks, before you put your plants in the ground.
I hope this helps!
alphabet_sam@reddit
Thank you! I think that’s plenty to get me started and the tip about mulching is something I wouldn’t have known, so I will do that!
first_follower@reddit
Please PM me! We would love this! I love supporting native plants but have no clue where to start.
ahava9@reddit
I’m dying to tear our the plants (camellia, etc) that the previous owners put in and replace them with Texas natives.
Are there any Texas native flowers I can plant now that won’t die automatically in this heat?
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
I just planted a Gaillardia, and it is doing really good. its a perennial, so it should come back next year. My Tickseed Coreopsis, has not stopped blooming since March, it is stunning. Lantana loves the heat. Opt for the native pink/red/orange, or Yellow. the others tend not to return consistently. Desert Willow can be planted at this time due to its heat tolerance, if you want some height and color. Turks Cap for shade.
What not to plant: anything marginal to our heat - Hydrangeas, camelias, flowering viburnums.. If they have thick, fat, meaty leaves, its best to plant it in the fall/spring.
Queasy-Awareness5647@reddit
What can I grow outside in a pot that bears fruit that I can eat?
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
That’s a great question. Blueberries, raspberries, peaches, figs will do decently in pots. But, the trick is to keep the roots shaded if possible, while giving the canopy full sun. To keep the roots cooler.
Queasy-Awareness5647@reddit
Any citrus?
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
I have friends that have had luck with Myer Lemons and Lime trees. I haven't seen much luck with orange varieties around North Texas - too cold I think. Its possible, but I believe the trick is to over winter them inside next to a sunny window.
chucknorrisinator@reddit
I run a small lawn care business in Richardson and I would love to learn about native plants / heat tolerant plants to help customers have a better time with planting jobs.
JuniorPomegranate9@reddit
Our house has st Augustine installed by previous owners but is starting to go bare in spots that became mini mudslides during all the rain this spring. It piles dirt in the sidewalk every time it rains or even when I use the sprinklers. I think the incline is too steep for mulch to stay put and I’m not ready to relandscape everything. Any suggestions? Is there anything I could plant now that would survive the summer? It’s a south facing yard, on bare patch is in the shade (and may be related to the neighbors dead tree) and one is in full sun.
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
You could try a dry creek bed to funnel the water where you want it to go. I have one coming from one of my downspouts, to my driveway - i dug out the grass - placed some landscape fabric down, and put rocks on top - making sure to keep the grade flowing away from the house and down hill. Then, get some plants to reinforce the grade where necessary, which could hold back some of that mulch.
if the grade is too steep, ground cover plants could help retain some of that soil.
Planting anything now is difficult. In direct sun, unless it's a heat lover like Lantana, Salvia, Sage, you may want to wait for cooler, or wetter weather to plant. In the shade would be OK, as long as the plant isn't marginal to our area, and you dont mind watering it for the next few weeks.
JuniorPomegranate9@reddit
Much of what I feared, little of what I hoped! Thanks for the ideas, I really appreciate it.
TRibbz24@reddit
Yea I could definitely use some advice, recently installed sprinklers and I have a bunch of exposed dry soil. And my flower beds are too pretty either.
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
Lowes has bags of Compost. For any bare and exposed soil, just throw an inch or two on the bare spots. That will give the roots something easier to dig into, rather than our hard clay soil.
For Flowerbeds, my advice is to go native from a local plant nursery. Calloway's and the big box stores are nice, but they dont always bring in the tough long lasting plants that work in our heat. Try places like Shades of Green in Frisco, or Outdoor Warehouse Supply in DT Plano. Look for Native Perennials - they will die back in winter, and come back in Spring. and the only maintenance you will need to do, is cut back the limbs in the spring when you see new growth at the bottom of the plant. So many different colors, and heights to choose from.
JorgAncrath2020@reddit
I would love this, but how do I keep that infernal burmuda grass from creepy into the planters?
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
Bermuda is the biggest, most difficult thing to get rid of. And, its the only time I would ever use something that kills everything - like RoundUp. I would first, spray the round up and let it sit for a few days, where I wanted to kill the bermuda. Then, I would dig up, or till the soil and pull out as many roots as I could. I would then cover the area with cardboard boxes, and cover it with lots of mulch or compost. and then I would get some sort of border that could go down, in the soil to divide my Bermuda from my garden beds.
With Bermuda, the trick is to kill the roots or shade it out. Because it will go under the soil and travel to other places, and somehow it knows exactly where you don't want it to go.
meowmeowlove@reddit
Kill your lawn!!!
I desperately wish I had the money to make my native yard a reality right now.
You're doing great work!!!
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
Thank you! I absolutely encourage folks to kill their lawn. Replace it with color, height, texture. Messy can be beautiful too.
KawaiiDere@reddit
I’d like some advice. The edges of my front yard are experiencing extreme erosion because the neighbors lawns drain onto my family and into ditches. What’s good for high water flow during rain like that?
Also, my neighbors grass is dead because her trees shaded it a ton. Any good shade loving plants to hold the soil in?
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
Your best bet may be to dig a trench or create a dry creek bed to funnel the water to where you want it to go, to reduce the erosion. For shade plants, hostas are good, Weidelia , yellow columnbine, spiderwort are some of my favorites for shade. If you want some more height In The shade, oak leaf hydrangea or an understory planted redbud can also be a nice look.
RSebastian18@reddit
Would love some help if there are still spots. Have gone through several iterations and a lot of plants don’t end up making it over a year. House is in Plano.
OldAndSlow@reddit
Any ideas for plants near a pool? Full sunlight. Minimal pollen and litter would be best.
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
Sure! I have the same problem. The area around my pool gets HOT. So, that would be a consideration for anything in a pot, else you'll cook your roots. Cactus always works well, Succulents if you don't want to be poked. Oleander loves the heat, and will give you height and color, but it needs to live inside over the winter. Grasses are awesome. Right now - I have some Mexican Feather grass, some snapdragons and a Wisteria flanking my pool for some color and texture, in pots. (never put wisteria in the ground - beautiful, but invasive)
In the ground you get a bit more leniency. I like the color that a sunshine Ligustrum brings - not flowering but good year round color, nearly litter-less (unless we get a hard freeze). Also, something like an Abelia - Rose Creek or similar variety, They keep their leaves all year round, and they do produce some flowers so there will be a little bit of pollen with this one. Texas Sage would be good, and give good color. Arborvitaes come in many shapes and sizes, and some are heat resistant - like a Fire Chief variety - also evergreen. Elephant Ears are great for poolside - combine them with some Calla Lillie's for some tropical color and textures.
OldAndSlow@reddit
We've had great success with Texas Silverado Sage around the pool. Also, hibiscus is thriving too. But I haven't heard of Sunshine Ligustrum. I like the look of that. Thanks.
Far-Statistician-739@reddit
We live in Carrollton and would to have native plants in the space between the sidewalks and the curbs. We live on a corner lot and have long stretches that we’ve talked about putting pollinator plants in for a couple of years but didn’t know where to start exactly.
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
I would be happy to help! is your sidewalk area sunny, shaded, or partial sun/shade? And, is it irrigated by a sprinkler system?
Far-Statistician-739@reddit
One side gets almost full sun during the day and the other is mostly shaded by oak trees during the hot part of the day. We have sprinklers covering all of it.
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
Being in the hell strip, I assume we want to go low, therefore: On the shaded side, for perennials you can try Verbina, cedar sage, catmint, ajuga. Spiderwort is one of my favorites for shaded areas.
On the sunny side, for perennials, try some tickseed coreopsis, Gaillardia (blanket flower), and Zexmenia. For annuals, check out Native Seed Company, here in Texas, and they have great annual seeds to spread.
chellera@reddit
i would love this if there are ideas for mosquito repelling native plants!
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
I don’t know of any mosquito repelling plants (maybe citronella), but if you can accumulate enough greenery, height, and hiding places for lizards, anoles, little birds, and dragonflies, they can help decrease the mosquito population.
redbudbaby@reddit
I would love your input! We are renting a home but I do love gardening. We also just moved here from Houston so I have so much to learn about the native plants here!
autumnwindow@reddit
Interested! I’ve planted a few native plants in the flowerbeds so far but could definitely use more guidance.
Ansh316@reddit
Interested. I am a new home owner and will love an opportunity to learn and grow
jinglelady@reddit
I have native beds through out my yard, but I want to transform a half of a no man zone into a "rain garden" I need to throw some cardboard down this fall to start I think.
Flock_of_cock@reddit
Any recommendations for an east facing balcony? Gets tons of sun between 6 - 11 AM
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
Morning sun, afternoon shade is the prime location for some of the best plants. What do you want - Color, butterflies?
Bees & Butterflies: Catmint, Salvia's, Sage's. just watch the tag and make sure they can do partial sun.
Color: Hydrangeas, Geraniums, Vinca, Supertunia Petunias are beautiful for hanging baskets or pots.
Wildcard: Redbud tree. keep it in a pot, good height, loves shaded afternoons.
Tenaha@reddit
Had really good luck with Angelonia, drought hardy several colors. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelonia
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
Angelonia is one of my go-to's. It is very tough. The bees prefer other plants, but they are just so good with our hot weather.
Lyuseefur@reddit
Oh god yes. Please. Yes. Even if you can share 'tips' ... I'd love to fix my backyard and my front yard to something better ...
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
Happy to help! The number 1 tip I can give, without seeing any lawn or garden, is to keep the ground covered. If you have a bare spot, cover it with grass clippings, mulch, compost, anything. Any soil that is exposed will lose water at a higher rate. That means you are also losing the microscopic creatures in that soil, which are the ones feeding your roots.
PM sent if you want to setup an in-person consult.
janejacobs1@reddit
You are so right about mulching. But the 1-2” of bagged mulch just won’t do the job. Being somewhat budget constrained (after I spent all my $ on native plants haha) I got a free load of arborist’s chips from chipdrop. It was enough to cover my pretty big native garden with like 4”. Thrilled with the results! I watered well before putting it down, and watered only maybe twice more through the hot summer. Easy to walk and work out there without getting muddy or compacting. Within 2 years I could see the soil quite transformed.
theTexans@reddit
Absolutely! We have a decent sized yard but have no idea what to do with it. Everything I plant dies and I can use any help I can get please.
a_polite_redditor@reddit (OP)
Absolutely - I am happy to help. I sent a PM with some info.
I totally get it - I estimate I lost at least half of the plants that I planted in my yard over the first couple of years. Even though the plant tags may say "Full Sun" - they don't always mean Full Texas Sun.
theTexans@reddit
Ah that's likely a factor.