How do you choose plants that won’t die in the summer heat or drink your budget dry? Planning a new landscape or plant bed can be overwhelming when you’re faced with all the options available. Here are some ideas about how to plant smart and reap the benefits of less yard time and a smaller water bill.

Plant native:

Add North Texas native or adapted plants into your landscape. These kinds of plants:

• Use less water
• Don’t require the use of pesticides or fertilizers
• Can withstand dry, hot summer weather
• Come in a variety of beautiful colors, shapes and sizes

Consider Xeriscaping:

Xeriscape is a style of landscape design that specifically uses plants that require only minimal amounts of water, usually by including almost entirely native or adapted species. Far from dry or desert-like, a Texas Xeriscape can actually be full of interesting grasses and colorful flowers like:

• Buffalo grass
• Bermuda grass
• Zoysia grass
• Texas lantana
• Turk’s cap

Count sunlight into your design:

Different plants require different amounts of sunlight, so make sure you are placing plants in the right yard location.

If the tag says___, plant in a spot with____:

• Sun: full sunlight, all day
• Part sun: 2-3 daylight hours
• Part shade: 4-5 daylight hours without sunlight, roughly ½ per day
• Full shade: no direct sunlight, but bright light okay
• Dense shade: no direct sunlight, no bright light, dark shadows preferred

Irrigate only when, where and as needed:

Like sunlight, different plants require varying amounts of water as listed on their tags. Only place plants that actually need the extra water in irrigated areas. When you plant trees and bushes, use 2 to 4 inches of high-quality mulch as a moisture-saving base that will keep irrigation from evaporating in hot weather.

Take the #PledgeToPlantSmart and join the movement to conserve water and plant native.