A worked example: turning an old vegetable bed into a native planting of prairie verbena and Texas frogfruit. The same steps work for any patch of lawn you want to replace.

Remove the grass Late September to mid-October

Option A: Wake it up, then spray
1. Water deeply (about 1 inch per week) for 2–3 weeks, until you see green regrowth.
2. Spray plain glyphosate on the green growth. Do this by mid-October at the latest, because Bermuda slows down once nights drop below about 60°F.
3. Wait 7–10 days, then scrape off the dead sod. Spot-spray anything that regrows.
Avoid “Extended Control” or “Weed & Grass Killer Plus” products. They contain residual herbicides that can prevent planting for months.

Option B: Dig it out while it’s dormant (no chemicals)
1. Water the day before so the soil is workable.
2. Remove the sod 2–3 inches deep with a flat spade or a rented sod cutter.
3. Fork through the soil and pull out as many white rhizomes as you can find.
Expect some regrowth in spring. Hand-pull it as it appears.
Install edging October
- Bury it at least 5–6 inches below ground, with 1–2 inches above ground to stop runners from crossing over the top.
- Use something heavy: 1/8-inch steel edging, heavy plastic root barrier, or a poured concrete mow strip. Thin “no-dig” plastic edging won’t hold back Bermuda.
- Keep the outside edge trimmed. Bermuda runners will keep trying to climb over.
Prep the soil October
- Skip compost and fertilizer. An old vegetable bed is already rich, and prairie verbena prefers lean soil.
- If water puddles after rain, mix in expanded shale or decomposed granite, or mound the planting area slightly.
Plant prairie verbena Late October to mid-November
- Space transplants 12–18 inches apart and water them in. Water once or twice a week until they’re settled, then only rarely.
- Or sow seed on the soil surface in October or November and press it in lightly. Seed is cheaper, but you’ll get fewer blooms the first spring.
- Use little or no mulch around the crowns.
Winter maintenance December to February
- Water only during long dry spells.
- Pull any grass as soon as you spot it.
Add Texas frogfruit March to May
- In March, clear out any Bermuda that greens up. Hand-pull it, or if you spray, shield the verbena with a piece of cardboard.
- Plant frogfruit 12–24 inches apart in the gaps between the verbena. Water regularly for the first month.

Shopping list

Item	Where to buy
Glyphosate (Option A)	Home Depot, Lowe’s
Sod cutter rental (Option B)	Home Depot tool rental
Steel edging or root barrier	Home Depot, Lowe’s; heavier-gauge steel at SiteOne
Expanded shale or decomposed granite	Calloway’s, Marshall Grain, or Living Earth (bulk)
Prairie verbena plants	Hartwell’s (Lewisville), Calloway’s (Flower Mound). Ask for Glandularia bipinnatifida.
Prairie verbena seed	Native American Seed (seedsource.com)
Texas frogfruit (spring)	Hartwell’s, North Haven Gardens, Eco Blossom Nursery (ecoblossom.com)