The Best Volunteers and Customers Imaginable! THANK YOU!

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— by Randy Pensabene

Going into the Spring 2021 NPSOT-Wilco Native Plant Sale, we were a bit nervous. It was a new venue for us and so we were not sure how many people would show up. We were confident that we had a wonderful location at the beautiful Berry Springs Park and Preserve (BSPP) Tonkawa Pavilion and that people truly wanted Texas native plants. We were also confident that we had the best group of knowledgeable and hardworking volunteers that money couldn’t buy!

On Friday morning, it soon became apparent that the Tonkawa Pavilion was indeed the perfect location and we had nothing to worry about…, except whether we would have enough plants for Saturday. Such remarkable response and support from the plant community!

With much regret, we had to cancel the sale for Saturday because we sold out of virtually every native plant we brought. I deeply apologize to those who came late on Friday or had planned on coming Saturday. We acquired every native plant we could for the sale and we simply could not meet the demand. I thank all the customers for showing up.

I also thank each and every volunteer. It takes a sizable team of people, working together, to put on this worthwhile event. We get to have an amazing amount of fun, enjoy the camaraderie of fellow native plant supporters, and expand our knowledge and appreciation of native plants. Just as fun is interacting with and educating the public. We even had volunteers lead plant walks for small groups of people visiting our sale or visiting the park, something new this time.

It is important for everyone to know that our plant sale proceeds help fund nonprofit programs promoting the use of Texas native plants. Our primary focus is Williamson County where we spend sale proceeds on community-enriching native plant-related projects at places like BSPP, River Ranch Park, Champion Park, Brushy Creek Regional Trail, Spirit Reins, NEST-The Georgetown Project, and the Georgetown Public Library.

We are so pleased with the spring plant sale response that we are already planning our fall 2021 plant sale and I am pleased to say that we will return to the Berry Springs Park and Preserve Tonkawa Pavilion that overlooks this beautiful Williamson County asset and its trails. Our fall plant sale will be one day, Saturday, September 25, 2021, at the same location.  We’ll announce the sale hours closer to the date.

Thank you, everyone, for your generous support.
Randy

plant sale
image of plants for sale

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Online Chapter Meeting April 8: “Just Enough Latin to Go Plant Shopping” with Carol Clark

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Join NPSOT-Wilco’s online chapter meeting on Thursday, April 8, 2021, at 7:00 pm, when Carol Clark will present Just Enough Latin to Go Plant Shopping.  (Registration instructions are later in this post.) 

We give away a book at every meeting — about native plants or the meeting topic — to one randomly chosen meeting attendee!

About the topic:  The scientific names of plants might seem like a giant pain to learn, but they carry more useful information than you might think. Learning just a few common roots for form, size, color, origins, shape and habitat can help you decipher those names and choose the right plant for the right place, save you time and money, and lead to a whole new avenue of enjoyment in your gardening life. We’ll keep it fun and simple, so don’t let your fear of Latin keep you away. Reference handouts are at these two links in our Dropbox:

About our speaker:  Carol Clark is an amateur botany enthusiast, a Texas Master Naturalist, and longtime member of the Native Plant Society of Texas. She and her husband own and operate Clark Haven, a wildlife preserve and custom wildflower seed business in Cooke County. Carol grew up with a nature photographer father and wildlife artist brother, and has spent much of her life looking around in the great outdoors. Her favorite things to do are leading discovery walks in local natural areas, and finding and photographing interesting plants.

How to attend:   You must register in advance to attend the meeting.  Register at the link:  https://zoom.us/webinar/register/2116147254004/WN_5gjv_wHRS7SN3Mg7YpdWxw

Crossvine, Bignonia capreolata
Crossvine, Bignonia capreolata

NPSOT-Williamson County meetings are free and open to the public. In this time of public health risk, our in-person meetings and field trips are canceled until further notice.

Check our blog announcements, calendar and Facebook for developing plans for virtual meetings and virtual field trips.

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Landfill Pollinator Garden workday on Saturday, April 3 2021

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— by Marilyn Perz

We have a workday at the Landfill Pollinator Garden on Saturday, April 3, 2021 from 8am-noon.  Come help members of NPSOT and the Good Water Master Naturalists weed and cut back the plants on our Bluebonnet covered berm.

Please wear a mask, bring your own cutting and digging tools and dress for the weather. Water and snacks will be provided. We will distance ourselves as we work.

Park across the street from the garden in the Recycling Center lot at 101 Landfill Road, Hutto.

Pollinator Garden Workday

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