Encouraging native plants and bolting lettuce

Q: How do we encourage native plants like lupine, Oregon grape and arnica for a natural yard? We keep an area unmowed, and we also need to think about fire resistance.

A: I am assuming that you have some native plants in the area now, that you want to have more of what you have, and possibly more variety. The existing plants obviously like their growing conditions, so it should be fairly easy to encourage them to spread. The ones that you mentioned like some sun, some shade. Wherever there are trees or shrubs nearby to provide shade for a few hours every day, these plants should be happy.

As w...