Pollinator Paradise

New free app helps Texans grow drought-tolerant native gardens

Maybe you won't grow a field of bluebonnets, but you can start with a few Texas natives.

Photo courtesy of Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Texans sensing spring coming in on the breeze can start planning their drought-tolerant gardens now. A new app by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TWPF) gives free tips on planting native species that are low-maintenance and friendly to pollinators.

Users don't need any gardening experience to start planting with Wild Thumb. It lays out instructions step-by-step and accommodates different regions and needs, considering backyards as well as humble flower pots. It's also good for inattentive gardeners, since it can remind users to water and prune their plants when it's time and sends freeze alerts.

To use the app, gardeners will have to sign up with an email and enter their ZIP Code. This connects the account to an ecoregion, an area of land that's defined by certain characteristics like climate, precipitation, wildlife, soil types, and more. That makes ecoregions much more detailed than the United States Department of Agriculture's widely known Hardiness Zones, which are only based on extreme cold data.

After giving a quick overview of the ecoregion, the app settles into a dashboard including the current temperature, time of sundown, and projects. Users can choose the type of project they want to start (pots/planters, beds, and pocket prairies), take a look at some advice for preparing in real life, and then build a schematic with native plants and at-a-glance information about them.

After the diagram is complete, the user can check off a list of tasks and progress through different phases of the project. An "explore" tab lists local nurseries, seed providers, and seed mixes to help with shopping, and the app also suggests that users get on iNaturalist, a citizen science community.

“Wild Thumb takes the guesswork out of native gardening so that anyone in Texas — no matter where they live or how much space they have — can be part of the pollinator solution,” said Julie Shaddox, TPWF’s Director of Development & Conservation Programs, in a press release. “Most people don’t realize that many of our native pollinators, including the American bumblebee, are in decline. By planting even a few native plants, Texans can make a tangible difference in restoring the critical habitat these species depend on.”

The release promises more plant species in the app's future, along with information on what types of pollinators love each plant. There will also be more education about prairie ecosystems; grassland and prairies make up 60 percent of Texas, according to Audubon Texas.

Users can enjoy the app for free thanks to funding from H-E-B, the presenting sponsor of TWPF's Pollinators & Prairies program. Phillips 66 is also a contributing sponsor, and Outside Studio, the Native Plant Society of Texas, and professional botanists helped develop the app. Anyone with a smartphone or iPad can download the app from the App Store and Google Play now.

gardening apps education ecology sustainability nature texas parks and wildlife department

Swedish meatballs are coming

Furniture fave IKEA reveals grand opening date for Rockwall store

IKEA

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The newest IKEA store in Dallas-Fort Worth is ready to open its doors: IKEA Rockwall, located at 1801 E. Interstate 30, will debut on Wednesday, May 13.

According to a release, the Swedish-born furniture company will say hallå to Rockwall with some fanfare on May 13, beginning with giveaways, coffee, and cinnamon buns at 7 am, followed by remarks from VIPs at 9:45 am. Customers can line up as early as 7 am and doors will open to customers starting at 10 am.

Ikea is the world's largest furniture retailer, founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, and known for its simple, modern approach to interior design at an affordable price, its ready-to-assemble furniture, and its amusement-park-like stores.

Ikea Rockwall will be the anchor in a 65-plus acre mixed-use development with a location chosen for its accessibility not only to the east side of DFW but also to major highways that connect to faraway cities like Texarkana and Little Rock.

According to a release, the store represents Ikea's intention to become more accessible, affordable, and convenient for the many here in the U.S., and the store will offer a new way of reaching customers both in-store and digitally.

“Opening IKEA Rockwall is a big moment for us, not only because it’s our ninth store in Texas, but because it’s our first ground-up build since 2019,” says Rob Olson, interim CEO of IKEA U.S., in the release. “This milestone underscores our confidence in the future of this market and in our mission to create better everyday life at home through affordable, well-designed solutions.”

The store's footprint is 108,000 square feet — almost a third smaller than the behemoth locations in Frisco and Grand Prairie, which both span 293,000-plus square feet — and more on par with the new IKEA Dallas - University Park store that opened in Dallas in March.

The single-level Rockwall store features over 6,000 products and dozens of fully furnished room settings, with more than 3,800 items ready for immediate takeaway, the release says. In a "central planning area," customers can receive personalized design consultations from IKEA experts for kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and small spaces.

And yes, there will be the famous Swedish meatballs. The new store will include a Swedish Bistro, serving customer favorites like meatballs, plant balls, hot dogs, and veggie dogs.

Additionally, Ikea Rockwall’s design will include features for improved sustainability, specifically solar power, LEED certified construction, EV chargers, onsite recycling and native plant materials to reduce water consumption.

An "as-is section" will offer gently used and discontinued items at discounted prices, "giving products a second life and helping customers furnish their homes more sustainably and affordably," they say.

“We’re proud to open IKEA Rockwall as a reflection of our commitment to the community it serves,” says Ben Sandoval, market manager, IKEA U.S. “Our goal is to be a trusted partner for local families by offering well-designed, affordable solutions that support everyday life at home.”

As part of its goal of being a good neighbor, IKEA Rockwall will donate $10,000 to the Children's Advocacy Center for Rockwall County at the grand opening. (Store hours on May 13 will be 10 am-8 pm.)

Once IKEA Rockwall debuts, it will be open 10 am-9 pm Monday-Saturday and 10 am-8 pm Sunday.

rockwall openings ikea