Category: Native Plants

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2019 Fall Plant Sale Success-THANKS!

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— by Beth Erwin

image of plant sale volunteers
Fall 2019, Friday morning crew. Photo by Bob Kamper.

Pictured here is the Friday morning booth crew, except for Bob Kamper, who was taking the picture.  We were all fresh and ready to go.  By noon, we were tired!  Sales were brisk from the get-go and remained steady until closing time Saturday evening.  We shattered our previous Fall Plant Sale records, helped by close to 500 customers.  It’s always a pleasure to visit, encourage, counsel, and commiserate with our regular and new booth visitors.

The NPSOT-Wilco chapter has such a fine group of volunteers.  They are eager to help in the months prior to the sale with labeling and preparing the plants for sale, loading and unloading, and keeping the booth looking great.

Proceeds from the sale fund our native plant display gardens, native plant pollinator project gardens, chapter meeting speakers, our award-winning native plant identification signs in Williamson County parks, our work with the NPSOT Native Plant Certification Program classes, and equipment and supplies that help further our goals promoting the use of native plants.

Thank you to all who volunteered countless hours to make this such a success.  We really appreciate the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for allowing us to participate in the sale each spring and fall.

Kindest regards,
Beth Erwin
NPSOT-Wilco Plant Sale Coordinator

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On November 14, learn about the LBJWC Seed Bank-NOTE OUR LOCATION

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Join us for NPSOT-Wilco’s next chapter meeting on Thursday, November 14, 7pm, when our guest speaker, Minnette Marr, will tell us about the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Seed Bank.   Minnette is the LBJWC Conservation Program Manager, responsible for curating the seed bank and more.  See this link to the LBJWC staff directory.

IMPORTANT:  In November we meet at Georgetown Parks & Recreation Administration Offices, 1101 N College St, Georgetown, TX 78626 ( map),  NOT at the Georgetown Public Library.

Clematis-drummondii - Old-Mans-Beard
Seedpods, Old Man’s Beard, Clematis drummondii. Photo by Bob Kamper.

NPSOT-Williamson County meetings are free and open to the public.

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Program Summary for Oct 10, “Unnatural Texas”

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Unnatural Texas

— by Nancy Pumphrey
Our program on October 10, 2019 was an engaging talk by Drs. Robin Doughty and Matt Warnock Turner, co-authors of the book Unnatural Texas? The Invasive Species Dilemma. They spoke of starlings, sparrows and their introduction into the United States. They then went on to pigs, feral felines and then to plants.  Of interest was the proliferation of water hyacinths, and how they are clogging up waterways around the world. An interesting unintended consequence is that they actually clean waterways by filtering heavy metals and contaminants when used with control.

We know about the Chinese tallow. But new to me is that the USDA actually encouraged plantings in the ‘60’s as an agricultural crop for oils, fuel and wax products like candles.

Salt cedars were introduced in Galveston to control erosion and make windbreaks, now crowding out salt marshes.

The new threat is the emerald ash borer which was noted in Michigan in 2000 and is now spreading across the US.

More info about Robin’s and Matt’s book can found be at Texas A&M University Press or on Amazon.  (Shopping at Amazon Smile? Designate the Native Plant Society of Texas as your nonprofit charitable organization of choice!)

You can see the October 10, 2019 business presentation slides here.

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