FROM THE BEGINNING
STARTING YOUR NATIVE LANDSCAPE
2014
Presented by the Native Plant Society of Texas
OBJECTIVES
▪ Provide the basics for building a Texas native
garden.
▪ Show the steps from start to finish.
▪ Three examples to show differing approaches.
▪ Demonstrate the fun and enjoyment.
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PLANNING – WHAT’S YOUR OPPORTUNITY?
▪ Location – sun/shade, soil, existing ground cover,
etc.
▪ Garden style – natural, formal
▪ Rules and ordinances
▪ Water restrictions
▪ Home Owners Association (HOA)
▪ Critters
▪ Make a sketch and a cost estimate
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BED PREPARATION
▪ Establish perimeter (edging, garden hose, etc.).
▪ Remove ground covers.
▪ Avoid tilling
▪ Add amendments (compost, soil, decomposed
granite, etc.).
▪ Add mulch
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PLANT SELECTION AND INSTALLATION
▪ Select
▪ Design goals (e.g. butterflies, color scheme, etc.)
▪ Local availability
▪ Space requirements
▪ Plant compatibility (e.g. water needs)
▪ Install
▪ Mulch
▪ Water to establish
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MAINTENANCE
▪ Watering
▪ Weeding/mulching
▪ Heading back (seasonal)
▪ Maintenance Guides
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WINNIE’S GARDEN
• City lot, no HOA
• Western exposure
• Shallow soil, rock
layer near surface
• St. Augustine grass
• Deer present
• Son helped install
edging for perimeter
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WINNIE’S GARDEN
• Applied 20% vinegar
• Solarized with black
plastic for two weeks
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WINNIE’S GARDEN
• Grass killed.
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WINNIE’S GARDEN
• “Grunt work”
• Rake and then
manually remove
dead grass
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WINNIE’S GARDEN
• Installed weed
preventer fabric,
newspaper, and
cardboard.
• Soil mix on top.
• Topped with mulch
to hold soil over
winter.
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WINNIE’S GARDEN
• Planted in spring
• Limited to 4” pots
• Finished garden
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KATHY’S GARDEN
• City lot, with HOA
• Black land soil
• Goal to reduce grass,
water usage.
• Favors hand
watering, uses rain
barrels
• Several small beds in
yard
• St. Augustine
everywhere,
Chinaberry tree
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KATHY’S GARDEN
• First bed – removed
chinaberry tree and
gained sunlight
• Manually dug out
the St. Augustine –
hardest approach
• Red yucca, evening
primrose, and mealy
blue Sage came from
plant rescues
• Later added mint
marigold and
verbena
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KATHY’S GARDEN
• Second bed along
the back fence
• St. Augustine
solarized –easier
grass removal
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KATHY’S GARDEN
• This is a simple
garden built up along
a backyard fence
• Thryallis
• Obtained from a
commercial nursery
• Drought tolerant and
deer resistant
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KATHY’S GARDEN
• Indian grass
• Rescued
• A good location for a
tall grass in an HOA
sub-division
• Planning helps to
deal with HOA rules
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KATHY’S GARDEN
• Side oats grama
• Seeds obtained at
the NPSOT
Symposium
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KATHY’S GARDEN
• Big red sage
• Plants obtained at
the Lady Bird
Johnson Wildflower
Center plant sale
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KATHY’S GARDEN
• Tropical milkweed
with a monarch
• Seeds drive
propagation
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KATHY’S GARDEN
• Butterfly chrysalis
• Natives Plants =
Healthy Habitats
• Habitat brings native
ecology
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KATHY’S GARDEN
• Third bed in front
along sidewalk
• Sunny, western
exposure
• Edging defines
formal perimeter
• Newspaper and
cardboard used to
eliminate St.
Augustine - easiest
• Plants from local
nursery
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KATHY’S GARDEN
• Black foot daisy
grouped with
Damianita and other
low water need
plants
• Edging along
sidewalk an HOA
requirement – keeps
soil off sidewalk
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MARILYN’S GARDEN
• Rural location,
eastern exposure,
black land soils
• Inspired by Winnie
and Kathy to reduce
grass area
• Wildlife friendly:
feeders, water
resources, pollen
producing plants
• Bermuda grass
difficult to control
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MARILYN’S GARDEN
• Make a simple plan
• Garden shape, plant
selection and
arrangement, etc.
• Location planned
based on mowing
patterns
•
•
•
Minimize number of
passes between
beds
Avoid corners
Minimize trimming
• Includes existing
Mexican plum tree.
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MARILYN’S GARDEN
• Solarized with
plastic for an entire
summer
• Lifted dead grass,
and removed soil
from roots
• Dead grass piled in
center to create a
raised area
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MARILYN’S GARDEN
• Placed layer of
cardboard over pile
of dead grass.
• Gradually covered
with soil and rocks as
work moved to
perimeter
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MARILYN’S GARDEN
• For the remainder of
the bed:
•
•
•
Removed several
inches of soil
Placed a layer of
cardboard
Replaced the soil on
top
• This is a step-by-step
process
• Took about two
weeks
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MARILYN’S GARDEN
• Bed preparation and
planting occurred in
late January
• Gallon pots – plants
placed on top
cardboard
• Roots placed in
mixture of soil and
compost, then
mulched
• Holes punched
through cardboard
for two antique roses
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MARILYN’S GARDEN
• The new garden at
five months
• Hand watered
• Weeds under control.
• Limited maintenance
required
• No deer, but
persistent armadillos,
raccoons, and possum
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MARILYN’S GARDEN
• A late summer view
• Proper spacing when
planting allows
growth to maturity
without crowding
• It’s enjoyed every
day
• Planned winter work
•
Remove dead material
and cut back as
recommended
•
•
Remove weeds
Add compost and
mulch
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SOME KEY IDEAS TO TAKE WITH YOU
▪ Start with a plan
▪ Understand what you are starting with
▪ Decide what you want to end up with
▪ Be patient and go step-by-step
▪ Find help when you need it – lots of expertise in people, books,
websites
▪ Start with something simple, gain experience, and learn
▪ There’s more than one way to do things
▪ Find what works for you and have fun doing it
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SOME WEBSITES TO TRY
▪ Williamson County NPSOT Website npsotwilco.wordpress.com/
▪
▪
▪
▪
Local nurseries
Maintenance Guide
Plant list
News and other information
▪ Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center wildflower.org
▪ Photos by Winnie Bowen, Kathy Henderson, and Marilyn Perz
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