If you ever tried to grow plants in Texas, you know it can be a challenge to get a colorful yet hardy group going without some background knowledge.  One of the best places to start is the Grow Green book called "Native and Adapted Landscape Plants: an earthwise guide for Central Texas".  This fantastic reference guide is available for free within the City of Austin and should have a maximum price of $1 outside of Austin. 

Quoting the Grow Green website, "Grow Green is a comprehensive landscaping program that provides Austin area homeowners with earth-wise solutions to their yard care problems. It offers more than 20 fact sheets on general landscaping tips, native and adapted plants, and pest and disease problems. Fact sheets can be found on this site or at one of more than 50 participating nurseries in or near Austin"

I highly recommend this guide for use anytime you are thinking about undertaking a gardening or landscaping project in Central Texas.  I have found it invaluable with my own yard projects, and it tends to make it really look like I know what I am doing since my plants are thriving.  Fortunately for me, the wonderful thing about these plants being native is that they can, almost, survive without me or, in some cases, in spite of me!  Additionally, they reduce the amount of water I need to use for my yard so it really is a win-win deal.

The website for Grow Green has a searchable database, with photos, that you can access if you cannot lay your hands on the book. 

Grow Green