(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)

So you’ve been thinking about getting rid of your lawn, or at least having less. You’ll attract birds and bees and you won’t have to mow as much. Nice! But where to start? Master gardener Paula Diaz gives us the scoop on how to kill grass, where to look for the right native plant species to replace it, and how to start laying out your flower beds. Come learn from someone who’s been winning over her neighbors to give native plants a shot.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Top 10 lists to help you pick the right native flowers, bushes and trees (Missouri Prairie Foundation)
• GrowNative.org index of Lower Midwest native plant retailers
• GrowNative.org sample flower bed layouts
• Regional native plant books
• Heather Holm's "soft landings" explainer
• Deep Roots KC's nature advisors and Sweet 16 plants
• Homegrown National Park
• Bringing Nature Home book
• Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design

This episode of Up From Dust was written, reported and mixed by Celia Llopis-Jepsen, with editing by Mackenzie Martin and Stephen Koranda.