Category: Native Plants

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Online Chapter Meeting October 14, The Humane Gardener: Nurturing Habitat for Wildlife, with Nancy Lawson

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Join NPSOT-Wilco online on Thursday, October 14, 2021, at 7:00 pm,  when author Nancy Lawson will present The Humane Gardener: Nurturing Habitat for Wildlife. 

About our topic: Why do we call some insects “beneficial” while others are “pests”? Why do we welcome some larger animals to our garden while calling others “nuisances”? Why are some plants considered “desirable” while others are “weeds”? In this myth-busting talk, learn how common growing methods divide the natural world into false dichotomies and perpetuate misperceptions about the wild species living among us. Discover practical ways to put humane gardening philosophies into action by protecting nesting sites for insects, birds and mammals; eliminating unintended hazards; identifying and nurturing plants that provide food and shelter; restoring habitat with minimal disturbance to animals; and humanely resolving conflicts with mammals and other commonly misunderstood creatures.

About our guest speaker: Nancy Lawson is the author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife, a habitat consultant, and a national speaker on garden ecology. She founded Humane Gardener to pioneer creative planting strategies and other animal-friendly landscaping methods. Lawson’s presentations at diverse venues—from national wildlife refuges to local wildflower preserves—have inspired even seasoned horticulturists and wildlife experts to look at their landscapes in a new way. Certified as a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional and master naturalist, she partners with Howard County Bee City, the Audubon Society of Central Maryland, the urban wildlife department of the Humane Society of the United States, and other conservation and animal advocacy organizations. Her book and garden have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other media outlets.

image of speaker photo

At every meeting, we give away a book — about native plants or the meeting topic — to one randomly chosen meeting attendee!

NPSOT-Williamson County meetings are free and open to the public. We hope you attend!  Meetings may be in person, virtual, or both, so be sure to check details in the meeting announcement. Meetings are announced on our website, our calendar and Facebook.

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Minding Monarchs

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— by Beth Erwin

We have two species of native milkweeds available in our Fall Sale this Saturday. We have quart pots of Zizotes, Asclepias oenotheroides, and quarts and gallons of orange flowering Butterflyweed, Asclepias tuberosa.

Butterflyweed would be a choice perennial in any garden, regardless of its native status. It is loaded with nectar and all sorts of pollinators flock to the clusters of orange flowers. I came across a lady many years ago that asked me to come to her yard and see her “chiggerbush” as she called it. It turned out to be a big bodacious Butterflyweed. True to its nature, it was loaded with insects of all sizes.

Butterflyweed, Asclepias tuberosa
Butterflyweed, Asclepias tuberosa

Butterflyweed is not the first choice of female Monarch butterflies to lay their eggs. It is slow to emerge from the ground in the spring. As the season progresses the narrow foliage gets tough. Zizotes, on the other hand, is a favorite. It very obligingly pops out of the ground in early spring several weeks ahead of other Asclepias species, with wide tender leaves for that first wave of migrating Monarchs to drop some eggs on. At this point in September, it is still producing plenty of soft broad leaves for the end-of-the-season crop of caterpillars and flowers full of nectar.

Monarch caterpillar on Zizotes, Asclepias oenotheroides
Monarch caterpillar on Zizotes, Asclepias oenotheroides

Buy some Butterflyweed for the pretty flowers. Buy some Zizotes for the Monarch butterflies. And the deer don’t eat them.

The photos are of plants that will be in the sale.

Tarantula hawk on Zizotes, Asclepias oenotheroides
Tarantula hawk on Zizotes, Asclepias oenotheroides

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.

  • For sale details and special requests, click this link.
  • For info about plant walks led by expert Ricky Linex, click this link.

Plants to be offered as of September 18, 2021

The newest list is at this link September 18 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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Native grasses and updated plant list for NPSOT-Wilco’s Sept 25 Native Plant Sale

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— by Beth Erwin

image of deer

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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