native grasses
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Boosting The Seed Bank In The Tall Grass Area

I have designated a small area at the back of the garden for mid-height prairie grasses. This is developing quite nicely, and I currently have there: Although the grasses that are growing are producing seed themselves, I decided for one more year to add a little extra seed for Little Bluestem and Sideoats Grama to Continue reading
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Sideoats Grama

Sideoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) is the state grass of Texas, a fact that I only recently learned. It’s a mid-height (2-3 ft) prairie grass that I thought would go well with the other grasses in my “tall grass” area: Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Waco Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans). I have purchased some Sideoats Grama seed, Continue reading
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A Pleasant Surprise In The Tall Grass Area

There is a small area toward the back of the garden that I have designated for mid-height prairie grasses. Developing this area has been confounded by the fact that I am not very good at identifying grasses. Here’s a summary of what has happened in this area in the past year: In this photo, Waco Continue reading
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Late Summer Mowing Of The Thunder Turf

Thunder Turf is a mix of three native grasses (Buffalograss, Blue Grama Curly Mesquite) that each grow only a few inches tall. They are all very drought-tolerant and need minimal care. The first thing I did when I arrived here in February 2023 was embark on the laborious process of removing all the Bermudagrass sod Continue reading
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Working On The Tall Grass Area

Early on in my time here, I set aside a portion of the back garden to be an area for mid-height native prairie grasses and the one I particularly wanted to grow was Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium). I introduced that by plant and seed. Sometimes I plan one thing, but nature, increased knowledge, or random Continue reading
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Little Bluestem Progress

Way back in the beginning of planning this garden, I set aside a small area for mid-height native grasses. The main focus was to be Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) introduced by seed and plant, but I also later acquired some seeds for Waco Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) and plants of Gulf Muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris). I am Continue reading
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Native Grasses Get Mown Twice A Year

I don’t have complete coverage yet of my perimeter area of short native grasses (Thunder Turf), but there is a significant amount of grass there, nevertheless. These native grasses were chosen because of their deep roots, drought tolerance, support of wildlife, and minimal care. For instance, the mowing schedule is twice a YEAR! May is Continue reading
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Native Grass Reseeding

The project to seed a perimeter of short native grasses in the back yard was the one that I started first, a year ago, and is not yet complete. Some of the reasons for the partial success were out of my control (e.g., what the builder was doing here on neighboring lots, and weather), and Continue reading
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Gulf Muhly Plants Are Flowering

There are a total of three Gulf Muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) plants here. One is in the front bed, planted by the builder (a rare good plant choice by the original landscaper), and the other two are in the back in the area that is designated for mid-height prairie grasses. Once the summer drought was over, Continue reading
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Sow Thunder Turf In The Fall/Winter, Yes Or No?

I recently reported that there is one area of Thunder Turf native grasses that I want to reseed, but I am hindered at the moment because the builder next-door is over-watering the new turf there, and my garden floods on that side every morning. I hope that once the next-door house is occupied, the watering Continue reading
About Me
Nature Lover.
Inquisitive Observer.
Student Gardener.
I invite you to join me on my journey to convert my sterile (from a nature point of view) new house lot to a healthy and diverse ecosystem, as I make discoveries, mistakes, and hopefully progress. I am not an expert or professional. The project started in February 2023 and the location is Seguin, Texas, USA.
