[cwilson2602]

Currently I have a weed bed in the front yard. I would like to change it to a flower bed that does not require a lot of time and watering. I am not familiar with plants for Texas.The bed gets full sun all day long. What about mulch? This is another thing that confuses me. What are the benefits/downside of using mulch. Thanks!

[wildandblue]

Your local garden center will carry plants that are grown in your area and you can start others from seed packets. Mulch mimics the leaves and decayed plant material that would accumulate on the forest floor. It cuts down on the amount of water that evaporates, keeps the soil temperature lower in summer so your plants don't wilt as fast, keeps hard rains from causing erosion and a natural mulch like bark mulch decays slowly adding organic nutrients to the soil. You could just spade a few holes, pop in some nice plants form the store and pile a good supply of mulch around them, smothering the weeds that are already there, or just cut them low with the lawn mower firstThen in the fall or early next year you could turn the old mulch under and have a nice garden bed there. If you start seeds start them in pots or make a cleared area for them, the mulch will keep your desired seeds from sprouting