Absolutely inspiring. The contrast between his vibrant, gorgeous ecosystem vs. the neighbors boring, depressing lawns is so stark. How incredible would it be to see entire neighborhoods/cities take this guys approach?
The region I live in is coming together to put forward this guys approach. I mean, like one-third of Gen x, 40% of millennials, and two thirds of Gen z. Almost no boomers are on board and we sent one of our beloved millennial meteorologists with his wife and small children to Iowa. Guess what happened? If you haven't heard already, Iowa's Republicans started sending unaliving threats to his office, the cops showed up, and the cops told him and the people who hired him, that they "couldn't " protect him, and he needed to take his wife and family, back to where he came from. They're fine now, but it is still unacceptable 😮
You took the words out of my mouth. Plus everything seems to be right where it belongs. Funny how we look at things. Some would say it’s a mish mash but it isn’t. So interesting.
As soon as you said “Plano Texas” I knew who’s backyard prairie you were showcasing. Pam Penick wrote a beautiful post featuring this spectacular home. This yard is the reason I scoured my local HEB parking lot, for their spineless opuntia pups that were littered all over their parking area 😂 I fell in love with liatris mucronata and the gorgeous panicum virgatum and so many more. This Pinterest post opened my eyes to Texas native stunners ❤
Thanks to Tony and his channel, I now recognize many of the beautiful plants I’m surrounded with in the Texas Hill country. I started collecting some Blazing Star seeds and will plant them in my now barren back yard.
In southeast Missouri you can get FREE native seeds at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center just off Interstate 55 about a mile at exit 99. I haven't been there in about 5 years or so but they had them back then with a native "garden" in front of the building.
When I lived in Dallas - Oak Cliff - I rented an old house that had not been treated very well for decades. The lawns were uneven and pitted, with a mix of different grasses and tiny native ground cover (which was wonderful for anyone who took the time to look) and even some dichondra in the front yard - maybe planted in the 1950s, when it was popular with house-proud people. Then the first spring came, and some blue bonnets sprang up in the tattered and abused lawn - they were lovely so I got some bags of native seeds from the hardware store and seeded the lawn with them, and didn't mow it until the summer heat had turned everything brown again. My neighbors didn't like it, and didn't like the bees that moved in too, but they had to admit the flowers were pretty. I lived there for 6 years, and the wildflowers returned every spring.
Michael was doing native plants before it was cool, he’s definitely been an inspiration. I Planted lots of my local species of Liatris when I found his instagram account a few years ago.
This is incredible! Truly and inspiration! I've planted over 330 plants in my two gardens in the last 4 years totalling over 47 different species. Ive also been maintaining a drainage pond behind my house and have seeded the shit out of it with natives with some asters and goldenrods starting to pop up. Its truly incredible the amount of life that uses my gardens. This inspired to kill even more of my lawn to make room for more species of plants!
I let my lawn go this entire year because the last few years have been drought and killed all the grass. I have planted a lot of plant, shrubs, trees and flowers over the years so it may seem more normal to the neighbors. I can't tell or worry about what they think. I pay the taxes... I'm very concerned about the death of species and trying to get more flowers and places for insects, bees and microlife to be able to live somewhere. I support Kill Your Lawn... and the CPBBD channel. It's got a lot of good information and funny quips.
My parents kicked the bucket this year so I'm doing this in the back yard this fall and the front yard next spring. Such an awesome yard, thanks for sharing
Tony, I hope you asked Mike to let you know when all the Monarch's are there so you could stop back in and do a follow up segment. Showing that spectacle might be enough to sway those still on the fence about the true benefits of native gardens. Huge thanks to you, Tony, for making that trek so those of us outside the local area (I'm in SW Michigan) can be amazed and inspired.
I moved from Plano, a neighborhood just like that one, in 1979, to Orange County Ca. I have not been back, don't plan to. I wish them all the best of luck.
28:36 There's a small paw paw nursery in Berryville, Arkansas. I'm going to try to get some of their treelings to plant come spring. I'm just on the pre-colonial range for paw paws, so we'll see how it goes. Unfortunately most of Texas is outside of their range and generally too hot, dry, and sunny for this lovely native fruit tree. Interestingly it's pollinated by flies and beetles.
Michael is a true jem for us in the DFW area. I found him a few years ago on IG and he's been opening my eyes to natives. So amazing to see you two collaborate with this interview/tour. Getting to see his yard in full format like this was such a treat! Would love to see more interviews with native yards like this.
WOWEEEWAWOW!‼️😍 I ABSOLUTELY LOVE what he's done with his yard & I LOVE the way he's done it & I LOVE that you saw photos/video of it & HAD TO go see it in person & I LOVE that he received you so kindly & I LOVE that he let you check out the whole place front & back & I LOVE that while you were peru-u-using it all & ADMIRING it all, you were kind enough to "bring us along" & share that BEAUTY-FULL setting & experience! THANK YOU🤗💖 VERY cool all around!!😊💖
This is the sort of idea that freaks out oil and chemical company executives. "What do you mean you don't want a noisy gassy lawnmower in every garage and gallons of Monsanto Vapor-Death 2000?!"
Anytime I hear one now I get annoyed lmao. I’ve been using a little sickle to cut what grows in my yard, this summer slaughtered most everything, so I have a pretty clean slate for winter and spring planting and landscaping
Love this guys philosophy, I think I hold a similar one. Let the plants decide what’s best, don’t plan the whole thing out, leave them some room for “expression” lol
Always heard you discussing natural plant yards but the first one I have seen. Loved it. I have only green stuff that I wack off with the lawn tractor. Mine and my neighbors we don’t pour weed killers on but keeping it cut its just green stuff. Loved this guys yard. I keep a wild flower bed but thats about it.
It was surprising to find out that you had your first pawpaw during this visit considering how far you've traveled. Great video and an amazing showcase of an ecological wonderland in a sea of lifeless green lawns.
Salvia azurea is so great. I stratified it in the fridge, and planted it under grow light. I swear, the next morning it already sprouted. And it even flowered in the first year.
Thanks so much for making this video! Truly inspirational! I live in Carrollton which is just west of Plano and have started something like this on a small scale, but this video inspires me to double down on my efforts. I have scattered a lot of seeds of natives, but have not had much luck with germination. I think I will have to go ahead and buy some plants. Also have not really done much with DG, so will try more of that. I also own a house in SA which has a huge front yard. Last year I converted about 3000 sq.ft. to xeriscape. Still more to do!
I've got a few bluebonnets going up from seeds this year thrown on mulch. Trying to get the winter/spring/summer bluebonnets nitrogen fixing to feed the spring/summer/fall peppers in my garden. We'll see if they seed enough to repopulate, or if I need to keep importing seeds from 635. I'm hopeful!
Wow!! It's so nice to see his property looking so good in PLANO of all places! I'm VERY surprised he gets away with it!! I grew up in N.Dallas, just a few miles from Plano. As a teenager, and a city kid, as soon as one of us had a car, we would drive out to Plano to run and play in the areas covered in brush & trees. We felt a need to be wild & free! It was still private property, but it wasn't being used for anything, so we would just jump the barbed wire fences. Those were the few places that weren't overrun with cattle. Way back then, we used to call it Plain-O ! There was just nothing out there. I sure did like it that way... But as we can see, it's all been paved over... I can tell you that the old Plano area never looked as nice as this guy's yard tho!! LOVE seeing it !!!
@@The_Crucible714 Not sure how it is in other states, but this year a law passed in Illinois saying HOAs cannot prohibit native plant gardens (HB5296, Homeowners' Native Landscaping Act). Hoping this means a lot more people will begin integrating native plant communities into their yards!
What a lovely, totally chill dude. Thanks for showcasing his gorgeous spot! I just started experimenting with different types of ground cover that I obtained from a nearby swamp. Thankfully our lawnmower broke, so the late blooming sunflower dudes have been lighting up in giant patches. Thank you for reminding us to think for ourselves. You're awesome, and my mom loves your book!
Man, I love liatris! This is gorgeous! People need to pay attention, because this is how you do it! Bitchy side bar: I'm pissed I missed you in OKC(not really.) I was out at Turkey Mountain helping with some dendrology surveys(because that area hasn't been classified) on friday. I even got a GD TEXT about the Fungus Festival and decided against it because I was bushed from tree surveys. Then Sunday, listening to your podcast while sorting seeds you said "Gonna be in OKC on Saturday, giving some talks." aaaaaand my heart fucking sank. Anyways....Thanks for all you do!
Beautiful garden. He also showed that its really not that difficult to do. I have noticed too how the more you do of this the less weeds do you get. Or lets say the less plants show up that try to take everything over.
Ohhhh wowww just subscribed recently saw desert videos and wow never thought would be close to this area!!! Bc a lot of ppl here are liking the native plant ideas..
I keep hoping to grow some Zanthoxylum americanum - I know of a few populations near me and would like to collect some fruits one of these years. I got a couple Conoclinium coelestinum, from a friend who has a native plant nursery not far from here. It's not native to Western New York, but I'll allow it as loosely "native". I am glad you showed this fella's yard - it has to make you feel at least a little optimistic. It works for me!
Absolutely inspiring. The contrast between his vibrant, gorgeous ecosystem vs. the neighbors boring, depressing lawns is so stark. How incredible would it be to see entire neighborhoods/cities take this guys approach?
The region I live in is coming together to put forward this guys approach. I mean, like one-third of Gen x, 40% of millennials, and two thirds of Gen z. Almost no boomers are on board and we sent one of our beloved millennial meteorologists with his wife and small children to Iowa. Guess what happened? If you haven't heard already, Iowa's Republicans started sending unaliving threats to his office, the cops showed up, and the cops told him and the people who hired him, that they "couldn't " protect him, and he needed to take his wife and family, back to where he came from. They're fine now, but it is still unacceptable 😮
You took the words out of my mouth. Plus everything seems to be right where it belongs. Funny how we look at things. Some would say it’s a mish mash but it isn’t. So interesting.
People don’t want to change their ways only because it benefits wildlife… Change the culture, tell them the truth- Lawns are ugly, this is beautiful.
Tbf quite alot of HOAs do enforce lawns😢
Land of the free?
Instead of milk and cookies, attract a Tony by leaving out Liatris seeds and dog treats.
Love this! Attract a Tony! excellent!
Dude has half of Texas' native flowering plants (and some more s#*t).. on less than an acre and it looks amazing😮🤣👌
“Can I take some of this” he asks with a fistful of seeds
😂 love ya Tony
"The biggest price is patience" haha oh how true. Amazing work.
As soon as you said “Plano Texas” I knew who’s backyard prairie you were showcasing. Pam Penick wrote a beautiful post featuring this spectacular home. This yard is the reason I scoured my local HEB parking lot, for their spineless opuntia pups that were littered all over their parking area 😂 I fell in love with liatris mucronata and the gorgeous panicum virgatum and so many more. This Pinterest post opened my eyes to Texas native stunners ❤
I had an encounter with Panicum virgatum this summer along with Tripsacum dactyloides at the same time. Those two together affected me in a good way.
Thanks to Tony and his channel, I now recognize many of the beautiful plants I’m surrounded with in the Texas Hill country. I started collecting some Blazing Star seeds and will plant them in my now barren back yard.
In southeast Missouri you can get FREE native seeds at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center just off Interstate 55 about a mile at exit 99. I haven't been there in about 5 years or so but they had them back then with a native "garden" in front of the building.
The x-ray vision below ground question is what I think all day. Root systems fascinate me.
Sure some neighbors are envious. Imagine seeing all the birds and butterflies in his yard getting nutrients. That has to feel wonderful.
You know all the MAGAt neighbors want to torch his yard at night! 😂
Texans always go one way or the other. This guy is the good type.
Gonna try this on my family's lawn. They're gonna kill me but it'll be worth it.
My advice is start with a small flower bed and slowly expand it without them noticing
When I lived in Dallas - Oak Cliff - I rented an old house that had not been treated very well for decades. The lawns were uneven and pitted, with a mix of different grasses and tiny native ground cover (which was wonderful for anyone who took the time to look) and even some dichondra in the front yard - maybe planted in the 1950s, when it was popular with house-proud people. Then the first spring came, and some blue bonnets sprang up in the tattered and abused lawn - they were lovely so I got some bags of native seeds from the hardware store and seeded the lawn with them, and didn't mow it until the summer heat had turned everything brown again. My neighbors didn't like it, and didn't like the bees that moved in too, but they had to admit the flowers were pretty. I lived there for 6 years, and the wildflowers returned every spring.
Michael was doing native plants before it was cool, he’s definitely been an inspiration. I Planted lots of my local species of Liatris when I found his instagram account a few years ago.
"I had a Little Bluestem phase" is the most Texas Gardner thing to say ever. Hah! Love it!
This is incredible! Truly and inspiration! I've planted over 330 plants in my two gardens in the last 4 years totalling over 47 different species. Ive also been maintaining a drainage pond behind my house and have seeded the shit out of it with natives with some asters and goldenrods starting to pop up. Its truly incredible the amount of life that uses my gardens. This inspired to kill even more of my lawn to make room for more species of plants!
Ageing has made me love natives even more than I used to. It's way less work and much more rewarding. Really nice!
I let my lawn go this entire year because the last few years have been drought and killed all the grass. I have planted a lot of plant, shrubs, trees and flowers over the years so it may seem more normal to the neighbors. I can't tell or worry about what they think. I pay the taxes... I'm very concerned about the death of species and trying to get more flowers and places for insects, bees and microlife to be able to live somewhere. I support Kill Your Lawn... and the CPBBD channel. It's got a lot of good information and funny quips.
Beautiful. Absolutely wonderful
Such a nice gentleman, thank you for sharing!
Just stunning !!!
My parents kicked the bucket this year so I'm doing this in the back yard this fall and the front yard next spring. Such an awesome yard, thanks for sharing
Tony, I hope you asked Mike to let you know when all the Monarch's are there so you could stop back in and do a follow up segment. Showing that spectacle might be enough to sway those still on the fence about the true benefits of native gardens. Huge thanks to you, Tony, for making that trek so those of us outside the local area (I'm in SW Michigan) can be amazed and inspired.
I moved from Plano, a neighborhood just like that one, in 1979, to Orange County Ca. I have not been back, don't plan to. I wish them all the best of luck.
He is a habitat hero for sure, thanks for sharing what a beautiful yard, such an inspiration...
28:36 There's a small paw paw nursery in Berryville, Arkansas. I'm going to try to get some of their treelings to plant come spring. I'm just on the pre-colonial range for paw paws, so we'll see how it goes. Unfortunately most of Texas is outside of their range and generally too hot, dry, and sunny for this lovely native fruit tree. Interestingly it's pollinated by flies and beetles.
5:40 That's why I've been collecting Yaupon shrubs.
Michael is a true jem for us in the DFW area. I found him a few years ago on IG and he's been opening my eyes to natives.
So amazing to see you two collaborate with this interview/tour. Getting to see his yard in full format like this was such a treat!
Would love to see more interviews with native yards like this.
love love love the volunteers when you stop pulling things up thinking it's a weed!
WOWEEEWAWOW!‼️😍
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE what he's done with his yard & I LOVE the way he's done it & I LOVE that you saw photos/video of it & HAD TO go see it in person & I LOVE that he received you so kindly & I LOVE that he let you check out the whole place front & back & I LOVE that while you were peru-u-using it all & ADMIRING it all, you were kind enough to "bring us along" & share that BEAUTY-FULL setting & experience!
THANK YOU🤗💖 VERY cool all around!!😊💖
I hope everyone sees this. That way they can realize how incredibly possible this is!
This is the sort of idea that freaks out oil and chemical company executives. "What do you mean you don't want a noisy gassy lawnmower in every garage and gallons of Monsanto Vapor-Death 2000?!"
The electric weedwhacker engineers are sweating😂😂
Anytime I hear one now I get annoyed lmao.
I’ve been using a little sickle to cut what grows in my yard, this summer slaughtered most everything, so I have a pretty clean slate for winter and spring planting and landscaping
This is really cool. I want to see more homes like this for inspiration
Love this guys philosophy, I think I hold a similar one.
Let the plants decide what’s best, don’t plan the whole thing out, leave them some room for “expression” lol
So much more interesting and beautiful than the habitual toxic lawn.
The lawn across the street with the cemetery decorations has it right - that place is a dead zone.
Thanks Tony for bringing this to light. There is hope!❤
It's a literal carpet of flowers! 😭😍
I can't imagine the sheer volume of butterflies that place has fed. 🥰 Fantastic job!
Always heard you discussing natural plant yards but the first one I have seen. Loved it. I have only green stuff that I wack off with the lawn tractor. Mine and my neighbors we don’t pour weed killers on but keeping it cut its just green stuff. Loved this guys yard. I keep a wild flower bed but thats about it.
Awesome; a bright spot in an otherwise bleak place.
WOW. One of your very best efforts, and I have watched your videos for years.
Wow!
Nice work!
love to see it
Love this yard!
It was surprising to find out that you had your first pawpaw during this visit considering how far you've traveled. Great video and an amazing showcase of an ecological wonderland in a sea of lifeless green lawns.
I got the purple eryngium seeds gonna plant them this spring in Tennessee
Salvia azurea is so great. I stratified it in the fridge, and planted it under grow light. I swear, the next morning it already sprouted. And it even flowered in the first year.
Loved this episode. So inspiring!
Ohh, That is Beautiful!!
Especially in comparison with the Lawn Monocultures!!
Thanks so much for making this video! Truly inspirational! I live in Carrollton which is just west of Plano and have started something like this on a small scale, but this video inspires me to double down on my efforts. I have scattered a lot of seeds of natives, but have not had much luck with germination. I think I will have to go ahead and buy some plants. Also have not really done much with DG, so will try more of that. I also own a house in SA which has a huge front yard. Last year I converted about 3000 sq.ft. to xeriscape. Still more to do!
I've got a few bluebonnets going up from seeds this year thrown on mulch. Trying to get the winter/spring/summer bluebonnets nitrogen fixing to feed the spring/summer/fall peppers in my garden. We'll see if they seed enough to repopulate, or if I need to keep importing seeds from 635. I'm hopeful!
the thing that stands out to me is not one of his neighbors has become enlightened enough to join this effort.
A lot of people are terribly afraid of insects, it would be hell for those people.
👊🤠👊 Great Job, I love what you have done!
Wow!!
It's so nice to see his property looking so good in PLANO of all places!
I'm VERY surprised he gets away with it!!
I grew up in N.Dallas,
just a few miles from Plano.
As a teenager,
and a city kid,
as soon as one of us had a car,
we would drive out to Plano to run and play in the areas covered in brush & trees.
We felt a need to be wild & free!
It was still private property,
but it wasn't being used for anything, so we would just jump the barbed wire fences.
Those were the few places that weren't overrun with cattle.
Way back then, we used to call it
Plain-O !
There was just nothing out there.
I sure did like it that way...
But as we can see,
it's all been paved over...
I can tell you that the old Plano area never looked as nice as this guy's yard tho!!
LOVE seeing it !!!
Love love love it. Beautiful.
The guy's got 2 blue heelers! Aussie!, Aussie!, Aussie!, MATE!!
I love this beyond my ability to articulate. Bless this man, thank you for showing us this.
Inspirational garden. Kudos to Michael. LOVE LOVE LOVE
Love this awesome yard! I'm going to use this as my blueprint for my yard outside of Tyler, TX.
I have been hoping you’d swing by the Plano/DFW area so I could get an idea of what to plant! Love this! Seeing the before and after was amazing.
🤩 the dream of starting with a few plants and propagating the whole garden. One day I'll reach this level.
wow my lawns arleadt dead in the front yard!! im going to do this frosure!! thanks for the video 🙏🏼🤙
Great video.
Very appreciated.
Stay well and remain positive.
Stunning project 👍
Such a work of beauty and love
Phenomenal front lawn! I'd like try that here in Ohio. I've got some beautiful "weeds" growing in my veg garden.
You know any knuckle-dragging, mouth breathing HOA’s would go crazy at his garden! 😮😂
@@The_Crucible714 Not sure how it is in other states, but this year a law passed in Illinois saying HOAs cannot prohibit native plant gardens (HB5296, Homeowners' Native Landscaping Act). Hoping this means a lot more people will begin integrating native plant communities into their yards!
Ah I love this!!!! Every minute is heaven.
I had to watch this three times!
This is awesome, lots of design ideas for small micro prairies!
What a lovely, totally chill dude. Thanks for showcasing his gorgeous spot! I just started experimenting with different types of ground cover that I obtained from a nearby swamp. Thankfully our lawnmower broke, so the late blooming sunflower dudes have been lighting up in giant patches. Thank you for reminding us to think for ourselves. You're awesome, and my mom loves your book!
Brilliant! Thanks for sharing!
Man, I love liatris! This is gorgeous! People need to pay attention, because this is how you do it!
Bitchy side bar: I'm pissed I missed you in OKC(not really.) I was out at Turkey Mountain helping with some dendrology surveys(because that area hasn't been classified) on friday. I even got a GD TEXT about the Fungus Festival and decided against it because I was bushed from tree surveys. Then Sunday, listening to your podcast while sorting seeds you said "Gonna be in OKC on Saturday, giving some talks." aaaaaand my heart fucking sank. Anyways....Thanks for all you do!
Inspired!!❤
Oh my gosh, so cool, and the backyard is stunning too
Beautiful garden. He also showed that its really not that difficult to do. I have noticed too how the more you do of this the less weeds do you get. Or lets say the less plants show up that try to take everything over.
This video gives me new hope for the liatris I planted years ago. Maybe I should plant more . . . such an interesting yard here!
Ommmgggg that is beautiful ❤️❤️❤️
I just love this guy!
If the guy ever reads these comments, yes it does inspire people. myself my lawn will become like yours!!!
Beautiful
So beautiful. Thank you for sharing
Ah wow I live close by, wish we could have a beer together bro! Safe travels.
Ohhhh wowww just subscribed recently saw desert videos and wow never thought would be close to this area!!! Bc a lot of ppl here are liking the native plant ideas..
Lupins would go well in that hell strip.
You find out the hard way when gardening what survives.. this landscape
Love the datura!
I keep hoping to grow some Zanthoxylum americanum - I know of a few populations near me and would like to collect some fruits one of these years. I got a couple Conoclinium coelestinum, from a friend who has a native plant nursery not far from here. It's not native to Western New York, but I'll allow it as loosely "native".
I am glad you showed this fella's yard - it has to make you feel at least a little optimistic. It works for me!
So beautiful! I want to find my native plants but I don't think there's pretty as those! Sierra Foothills 1500 ft, Placer County!
"What the shit?" Great quote
Love the home garden tour videos!
A dream of mine is to buy a house and do exactly this!
Most of my salvias croaked this year in the heat. Was over 110 most of the summer!
Incredible garden!
too cool !
So many interesting native plants there! Lawn is so boring.
I live in east tx transplanted from north western az and really appreciate you bro fuck8ng awesome content
I live in Plano as well, and there's a house on my street that's very similar - maybe even more diversity in the front yard if you can believe that
After seeing this, I went to northhaven gardens and bought two different varieties of liatris seeds.
Gorgeous
Always enjoy your stuff man, and ayyyye Plano i see you 👀
I want to do this so badly!
My parents are telling me no. Since they love the thirsty Bermuda grass too much in the desert area.