The Grapevine Parks and Recreation department and the Grapevine Garden Club will lead a new sustainable landscape program where residents can get certified to have native plants in their yards and gardens.
The GROW initiative was approved in tandem with updates to the city code of ordinances about weeds, trash and other unsightly matter during Grapevine City Council's Nov. 3 meeting. The updates now distinguish between grass and trash and is intended to clarify what constitutes a violation and streamline enforcement, per city documents.
The details
GROW is an acronym for "grow native, restore habitat, optimize natural resources and beauty, work together."
The program was created to educate and direct Grapevine residents who are interested in incorporating native plant life in their yards, according to city documents.
The process is free for residential properties and aims to assist in building planting areas that "conserve natural resources, support wildlife and complement neighborhood appearance,” according to the program.
About the program
To receive approval, residents must first attend an educational workshop to learn more about GROW and caring for native plants. They can then work with volunteer gardening experts to submit a planting plan.
Once the planting area is installed, residents can request a certification inspection.
Planting areas or yards that are certified will receive a yard sign to designate them as sustainable landscapes. Recertification is required every three years and compliance with the approved gardening and maintenance plan is required during that time, according to city documents.
The program will include guidance on native plant selection, clearly defined planting borders, water usage and habitat management. Certified yards will also receive guidance for ongoing maintenance.
GROW participants will be required to identify all types of vegetation on the property and the applicable seeding or planting dates for each species, according to the city.
If a yard falls out of compliance, the parks department will work with the owner to fix any issues before code enforcement gets involved, planning services director Erica Marohnic said.
In similar news
The new city ordinances were updated in response to concerns raised during the Oct. 7 2025 council meeting where citizens and city officials thought existing guidance was unclear and the item was tabled.
“I’m not sure what the rush to do it tonight is when we can’t get it right,” Mayor William D. Tate said in the 2025 meeting.
The GROW initiative was created as an exception to standard city requirements for plots of a yard or a whole yard to be certified for native plants. The former ordinance was considered repetitive with limited definitions, according to city documents. Residents also requested clarification for pollinator-friendly and native landscapes.
The updated ordinance includes definitions, separates sections for trash and grass guidance and limits grass height at 6 inches for both residential and non-residential properties. Besides certified GROW plots, land used for agricultural purposes like farming and lots over two acres on private streets are exempt from requirements.
Violations of the ordinance will be considered a misdemeanor and anyone convicted will be fined up to $2,000 for each offense. It will be considered a separate offense for each day a violation occurs or continues.
Next steps
The program introduction will be on Jan. 6 during an ECO Talk meeting where the city will present and explain the program to residents. Master Gardener Carol Clark will discuss the benefits of native plants.
Residents will have two seasonal opportunities to sign up and attend workshops on Feb. 20 and Aug. 7 said Kathy Nelson, parks & recreation planning manager
