When in Drought…Plant Native!

March is Texas SmartScape Month! Save money and water in your landscaping by using SmartScape tools.

It’s almost time to roll up our sleeves, pull out the garden gloves and prepare flower beds for spring spruce-ups and landscape planting! As you consider what you’d like to plant and where to place it this year, look at the Texas SmartScape website for some plant and landscape design inspiration. The Texas SmartScape program has carefully curated a database of perennials, shrubs, grasses, vines, groundcover, and trees that are either native or highly adaptive to the North Central Texas region. This means that you can trust that these choices will survive our specific climate and soil challenges and look attractive even in years of drought! Once established, these plants will not only require less water and fertilizer, but will also provide important habitats for wildlife and pollinators to live in.

Want to spruce up your yard, reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and save water?

• Use native and adapted plants. Texas SmartScape plants can thrive in the wide range of temperature and moisture conditions typical in North Texas. These hardy plants are rarely plagued by major pest problems, thus reducing or even eliminating the need for pesticides. They can also maintain healthy, vigorous growth in our region’s soils without using much—or any—fertilizer. (Although they might appreciate a nutrient boost once a year or so. The Texas SmartScape plant search tool allows you to find SmartScape-approved plants that fit your yard.

• Reduce turf grass. Lawns typically require a large amount of supplemental water and more intensive maintenance than other vegetation. You can use the SmartScape design page and SmartScape Pinterest boards to develop ideas to transform your lawn into a resilient and attractive landscape.