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Native grasses and updated plant list for NPSOT-Wilco’s Sept 25 Native Plant Sale

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— by Beth Erwin

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A common statement among those who garden is “The deer eat everything I plant.” Deer are voracious consumers of leafy plants. If they don’t eat it, they will destroy it rubbing their antlers on it starting in late summer. It is discouraging.

At our Native Plant Sale September 25th, we will have several native grasses for sale and one species of sedge, which is grass-like in appearance. We live on the eastern edge of “The Great American (overgrazed) West.” The cattle, sheep, and goats of many generations of our predecessors were the over-grazers, not the deer. Except in very early spring when the grasses first emerge, deer will leave grass alone.

Today’s gardeners rarely understand, appreciate, or identify the importance of native grasses in our landscape. Unfamiliarity makes it hard to recognize the different species. At the sale, we are offering five species of native grasses, already identified for you. Bring them home, plant them, grow them, and learn to recognize them. And as you watch, you will be amazed at the number of insects that will take up residence among the blades. Hungry birds will come looking for those insects. And you will have begun to create a very rare habitat.

Site your new grasses so you can see the sunlight behind them. Or plant them where you need to slow down water runoff. We have one species, River Oats, that is very shade tolerant. Our sedge offering, known as Meadow or Webberville Sedge, will create a handsome short carpet in the shade. And best of all, the deer will leave them alone.

About the sale

The NPSOT-Wilco plant sale will be held September 25, 2021, at Berry Springs Park & Preserve, 1801 Co Rd 152, Georgetown, TX 78626 in the Main (Tonkawa) Pavilion.  10:00 AM—3:00 PM.  (Note that the first plant walk being led by Ricky Linex begins at 9AM.) Cash, checks, and major credit cards accepted.  We prefer that all customers wear masks and maintain social distance.

Click this link to find details about the sale and how to make special requests.

Plants to be offered as of September 16, 2021

The newest list is at this link September 16 PDF.  The date is in the upper left corner on page 1.   If we update the list again, we’ll send a new blog post out to alert subscribers.

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Randy Pensabene receives Benny J. Simpson Fellows Award

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— by Beth Erwin
NPSOT has named Randy Pensabene as the recipient of the Benny J. Simpson Fellows Award for 2021. This award is presented by the Society to a member for work that enriches the Society at the state or chapter level. It  recognizes service to the Society and embodies “grass roots” recognition of an awardee by their fellow NPSOT members.

Randy has been a NPSOT member since 2006. She works tirelessly behind the scenes, organizing and improving our chapter projects. She faithfully records our successes and failures, giving us invaluable information to plan better projects with more effective outreach. She has developed our semi-annual plant sales into high volume educational outreach ventures. Randy has developed a strong core of volunteers eager to help with chapter projects. Volunteers know when they show up, the project will be well organized, and they will come away with a sense of accomplishment. She constantly seeks more ways to promote the use of Texas native plants. Randy’s contributions to our chapter have greatly enriched many of the ways that NPSOT-Wilco engages with the public.

Chapter member Sue Wiseman summarized the nomination perfectly.

“Randy is not self-promoting. She is that member that stands in the wings and makes things go smoothly. Something that is very hard to quantify. However, without her we would not have been able to do all the work we have accomplished over the past fifteen years. We are blessed to have someone like her in our organization.”

Congratulations, Randy, from all of us!

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Ricky Linex and the Sept 25 NPSOT-Wilco Fall Native Plant Sale

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— by Beth Erwin

We are excited to announce we will have a guest star with us for our fall plant sale on September 25, 2021 at Berry Springs Park & Preserve (inventory news later in this post).  Ricky Linex, author of Range Plants of North Central Texas will be on hand during our sale.

Ricky’s book is an indispensable manual for landowners in central Texas. Identifying the plant is one thing. The excellent photos help you there. But understanding why a plant is or isn’t there, and how that affects your management goals is information not easy to come by. We will have a limited number of copies available for sale at $25 each and Ricky will be happy to sign them, or your already-acquired copy.

In addition to being on hand to answer questions, Ricky will lead two walks on the park grounds. The first walk will start at the Birthday Pavilion at 9AM. The second walk will be at 11AM. Walks are limited to 15 people.

At 1PM, Ricky will speak at the Tonkawa Pavilion on “Native Plants, Pollinators” and “Thanksgiving, a Time for Reflection, Appreciation and Thanks.” He will discuss the importance of native plants for livestock forage, native plants for all species of wildlife and how pollinators are so vitally important for the survival of flowering plants.

We are aware that we have lots of new landowners with questions about how to manage their land for the love of Texas and the rest of the planet. We also have folks who have acquired land with the intention of homesteading with the same ideals. It is our hope that they will take advantage of having an expert on hand for the day and come with their questions. If you know someone like that, pass on this information.

About the sale

The NPSOT-Wilco plant sale will be held September 25, 2021, at Berry Springs Park & Preserve, 1801 Co Rd 152, Georgetown, TX 78626 in the Main (Tonkawa) Pavilion.  10:00 AM—3:00 PM.  (Note that Ricky’s first walk begins at 9AM.) Cash, checks, and major credit cards accepted.  We prefer that all customers wear masks and maintain social distance.

Plants to be offered

We have an initial list of plants to be offered at the sale.  Find the current list at this link.  If we update the list, we’ll send a new blog post out to alert subscribers.

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