Here in Houston, with our bountiful rain, having a lush green lawn isn’t as difficult as it is for some other areas of the country. However, keeping your lawn lush and green requires some maintenance. This maintenance includes:

Most people may have the misconception that “grass is grass”, but there are several varieties each with their own characteristics.

The Different Kinds of Grass To Choose From

St. Augustine: This grass is dense and thick and is extremely cold tolerant. It fares well in sandy soils that have adequate organic matter.

Bermuda: This grass is drought tolerant and rapid growing. Not as cold tolerant as St. Augustine. Not everyone likes this kind of grass, though. In fact some people even consider it more like a weed because if you ever want to get rid of it…

Well it’s really hard to do that. You can decide for yourself by reading more about it here.

Zoysia: Fine textured grass that grows well in partial shade. Disease and insect resistant, slower growing than St Augustine.

Ryegrass: Seasonal grass used during cold months to add color.

Downsides for Each Grass Type

As with most things there are particular shortcomings for each type of grass. Knowing these will help prevent problems in the future.

St Augustine Disadvantages:

• Fungal disease known as brown patch… common in areas/times of high humidity.
• Chinch bugs can destroy large sections
• White grubs can also destroy this lawn
• Does not fare well in the shade

Bermuda Grass Disadvantages:

• Nuisance in gardens and flower beds
• Browns after first frost and remains brown until spring
• Weeds grow easily in it
• Prone to fungus

Zoysia Grass Disadvantages:

• Needs lots of water
• Slow growing
• Needs shade

Rye Grass Disadvantages:

• Temporary ground cover
• Seed planting
• Can be patchy

Tips To Ensure a Healthy Lawn

Start with good soil.

Prepare soil in advance to planting or sodding to ensure the best start for your new lawn. This can include adding organic matter and grading the surface to eliminate areas that may not provide adequate drainage.

Water regularly, especially when newly planted.

Fertilize your lawn when needed and be sure to mow it regularly. Also, always keep an eye out for possible diseases (does it have brown patches?), pests, and a fungus growing (see mushrooms growing?).

Need Help With Your Ground Cover? Houston Landscaping is What We Do–Let Me Know How I Can Help. 

[contact-form-7 id=”808″ title=”Contact Form In Body”]

Choosing native plants to landscape your yard can give you peace of mind that your garden will thrive and also support the local ecosystem of Houston.

Three Basic Botanical Zones

• East Texas zone – north and east of Houston through the Beaumont area and into Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Also known as the “pineywoods”.
• The Post Oak Savannah – westward into the open prairies and hilly lands of west Texas
• The Gulf Coast Prairie – extends from the Sabine river into the Rio Grande

By observing wild habitats of your location, nature will show you the most adaptable species to plant in your yard. Take note of what plants grow in the shade as well as full sun. Some example that are common to our landscape are:

• sow- thistle
• phacelia
• bull thistle
• Mexican hat
• gaillardia
• dandelion
• star-thistle

There are also some edible native plants as well:

• nasturtium
• marigold
• garlic chives
• dandelion greens
• elderberries
• mayapple (COOKED ONLY)

Wild greens that are cooked and eaten are known as “potherbs”, some of them are:

• dock
• poke
• nettle
• thistle
• chickweed
• lamb’s quarter

Note: never eat raw pokeweed; only cooked tender new shoots are edible.

Wild greens that can be eaten raw:

• pepper grass
• lamb’s quarter
• sheep sorrell
• catbrier

Wild root crops that can be eaten raw:

• daylily
• wild onion
• woundwort

Wild berries found in Texas:

• blackberries
• dewberries
• mulberries

Aside from pecans, there are also wild nuts that are edible:

• hickory nuts
• walnuts
• acorns
• lotus seeds
• sunflower seeds

Edible flowers not only add beauty, but also a spicy flavor to salads:

• nasturtium
• daylilies
• rose petals
• redbud blossoms

If you’re looking into some native teas to drink, the following make soothing, tasty and nutritious  teas:

• sassafras root
• yaupon leaves (no berries!)
• horsemint

For seasoning and spicing up your roasts and meats try:

• dried southern wax myrtle leaves
• garlic chives

Make sure the plant(s) you are ingesting are identified properly and note precautions above in specific varieties. For starters, prepare a basic salad and use both imported artichoke hearts and our native redbud flowers- you may realize that your landscape can feed you just as well as a vegetable garden.

However, it is unlawful to collect your specimens from the wild.  Native plants need to be obtained from nurseries that specialize in their cultivation.

If you happen to own land or have permission from the landowner to transplant a specimen, it is advised to remove it during the winter months to allow the roots enough time to acclimate themselves before the heat of the summer.

Shrubs and small trees can be transplanted during spring or summer, as long as proper care ensures they are obtaining adequate water after replanting. Small vines and ground covers can be transplanted year round. Whether it’s native or and introduced species, the same method of planting is used in both.

Weeds – commonly known as unwanted plants that can have an invasive nature. Weeds are never 100% preventable or eradicated but with some simple steps the battle against them can be overcome.

Prevention is important in fighting the war against weeds, but once your lawn or garden is inhabited, there are some steps you can take to aid in victory. Yes, I declare war on weeds 😉

1. When you purchase top soil ask the vendor if it is free from nut grass seed. Most likely he/she will assure you, “Yes”, although it is possible the seeds still may be present. Search for reputable vendors.

2. Use ground cover to eliminate exposed soil areas. This will help eliminate maverick seed germination.

3. Use 3-6 inches of mulch around your shrubs.

4. When pulling weeds by hand, be sure to remove the root system as well. The bulb like root of the nut grass MUST be removed.

Chemicals that are on the market will also do a fair job, but they can be costly and damaging to other trees and shrubs and also linger long after the weed has been destroyed. If possible, attack the weeds by hand or opt for the more organic methods of controlling them in your yard.

Ground covers are an excellent alternative to grass.

Not only to the add texture, but also color and depth to what would be a dull landscape otherwise.

Ground covers are excellent in areas where growing grass would pose a challenge.

Common Places To Use Ground Covers

These areas can include but are not limited to:

slopy areas dense shade hard to mow areas between paved areas weedy areas

Examples of Colorful Ground Covers

Some flowering colorful ground covers are:

• Oxalis (pictured)
• Cape Plumbago
• Creeping Phylox
• Evergreen daylily
• Lantana
• Peruvian Verbena
• Shrimp Plant
• Strawberries
• Wedelia
• Carpet Bugle
• Strawberry Begonia

Examples of Ground Covers with Texture

For texture opt for these:

• Monkey grass (pictured)
• Sprengeri Fern
• Yarrow
• Varigated Vinca

Also there are colorful varieties by their foliage.

Ground Cover Care

Watering and Fertilization

The great thing about ground covers is that they require occasional watering. If it’s in an area where there’s lots of rainfall, you might not even need to water them at all.

But keep in mind, though, that when they are still young they will require more water than when they are older. Once they have matured some, typically you can simply water them occasionally or better yet, install a drip system.

As for fertilizing…

If it’s a drought resistant, woody kind of shrub, then you probably won’t need to fertilize it much. These types of ground covers are pretty resilient. Ground covers with a greener and softer look to them, typically these are perennials, will require more fertilizing because they have a higher need for nutrients.

Keeping It Orderly – Edging, Pruning, and Mowing

What? Mowing your ground cover? Yup, but we’ll get to that in just a moment. First, let’s talk about how your cover can spread.

Like any plant, shrub, tree, lawn… what have you, there will a little upkeep to your ground cover.

If left unattended for long, your cover can begin to grow into your walkway and other areas of your garden. Simply using pruning sheers or some other hand tool may be all you need to keep it trimmed, but if it begins to get out of hand, there’s a few other things you can try.

Create a Barrier

If your ground cover begins growing out of hand and spreading all over the place, you can try creating a barrier out of wood, brick, or some other object to restrict its growth.

If you find that it grows under your barrier you may need deepen the hole you dug and extend your barrier even deeper, below the root level.

Edging

You can save time pruning the edges if you have a good weed eater. Just be careful not to cut too deep into the cover or you’ll end up hurting the plant by weed eating its root.

Mowing

You typically don’t need to mow ground covers, but that’s not always the case. Some covers, especially ones which spread widely by their roots, can create patches of dense areas. If these patches get too cumbersome, your only option may be to mow it in order to get it in line.

If you must use a mower, try to use it just before the growing season starts. Also, don’t mow it too short, make sure to leave about 4″ of height.

As you can see, if you’re looking to cover up that dirt patch in your yard, you’ve got options.

In order to ease the tree selection process, here is a list of specific trees for Houston, Texas according to their attributes:

Evergreens Trees

• Canphor
• Deodar Cedar
• Cherry Laurel
• Chinese Evergreen
• Eucalypyus
• American Holly
• Dahoon Holly
• Integra Holly
• Torulosa Juniper
• Japanese Lingstrom
• Wax Lingstrom
• Loquat
• Broonze Loquat
• Southern Magnolia
• Monkey Puzzle
• Mountian Laurel
• Live Oak
• European Olive
• Evergreen Pear
• Aleppo Pine
• Slash Pine
• Red Plum
• Yapon
• Japanese Yew

Deciduous Trees

• Arizona Ash
• Catalpa
• Chinaberry
• Chinese Parasol
• Chinese Tallow
• Crape Myrtle
• Cypress
• Dogwood
• American Elm
• Chinese Elm
• Ginkgo
• Honey Locust
• Oriental Magnolia
• Red Mayple
• Silver Mayple
• Mimosa
• Mulberry
• Red Oak
• Willow Oak
• Jeruselem Thorn
• Calleryana Pear
• Pecan
• Mexican Plum
• Rain tree
• Redbud
• River Birch
• Sycamore
• Sweet Gum
• Vitex
• Corkscrew Willow
• Weeping Willow

Palm Trees

There are also palms that are suitable for our region:

• Queen Palm
• Pindo Palms
• European Fan Palms
• Mexican Blue Palm
• Chinese Fan Palm
• Date Palms
• Lady Palm
• Palmettos
• Windmill Palms
• Desert Palms (Washingtonia species)