scalp your lawn and plant buffalo grass seed
native grass to houston // requires little water // deals with our heat better than most of us // is green like the rest // you'll be okay // you can buy very cheap native seeds (cheaper than the big 'ol orange and blue hardware stores) at seedsource.com and while i don't know them they seem like very nice people who are passionate about restoring the land here in texas and it feels like we really need more of that these days

some native plants that bloom under trees // oak leaf hydrangea // cardinal flower // american beautyberry // coralbean // gulf coast penstemon + columbine [they like to be together. i don't know why but i bet if you looked long enough they'll tell you] // frogfruit // wild petunia // drummond's ruellia // sweet william phlox // scarlet sage (salvia coccinea) // zigzag iris (iris brevicaulis)

some native groundcovers that you can grow instead of bermuda or st augustine or whatever is making you water your grass entirely too often and maybe making you feel bad because it wants to die anyway in this ever increasing heat: frogfruit - flowers and the bees love it. grows in part shade and sun // horseherb - shade, part shade, sun - can be mowed occasionally // texas sedge - can be mowed at high setting // cedar sedge - clumping; combine with other grasses and herbs for lawn // i don't make the prices and i'm sorry that the sedges are expensive but i hear they multiply in time

if you are lucky to have a spot in your yard or on your balcony that gets 6+ hours of sun a day the birds and bees and butterflies and moths and wasps (i know...i know...) would be all a flitter to flutter by your spot and see the following plants: pink muhly grass (a literal d r e a m in the fall) // texas sage (turns silvery with purple blooms after it rains) // coneflower \ echinacea // indian blanket // salvia // coreopsis // lemon beebalm // frogfruit (i told you it can be planted anywhere) // silver ponyfoot // gulf coast penstemon // maximillian sunflower // gregg's mistflower // winecup // rattlesnake master // mexican feathergrass

native gardening is an act of resistance

xoxo
garden girl

see. just look at this muhly grass. dreamy dream boat of a species

gardening is an act of resistance // 3_19_25

ask your elders