Newsletter
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NPSOT-Boerne Chapter Newsletter |
September 5, 2006
Cibolo Nature Center at 140 City Park Road, Boerne TX
Presentation: Gardening in the Shade with Natives by Carl Green, Office Manager and Naturalist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at Government Canyon State Natural Area (SNA).
Carl will define the various types of shade and focus on an array of native plants, most of which are available in the nursery trade, that do well in various shady conditions. Many of you may be surprised at how many shade-loving plants there are to beautify a garden. An admirer of the vast array of Texas native flora, he has gone to great lengths to design wildscapes at his home as well as for family homes, and ensured that Government Canyon SNA also offered a wildscape demonstration garden for visitors. He loves sharing his knowledge and continues to assist the San Antonio Urban Office of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with teaching Continuing Education classes and presenting at Wildscape Workshops.
Carl is a native Texan and has resided in San Antonio since 1992. He has natural resource management coursework from Southwest Texas State University. His knowledge of native plants, however, is self-taught. His love of plants is evident in most of the things that he does -- photography, guided hikes offered at nearby city and state parks, and the many volunteer hours he dedicated to projects as a Texas Master Naturalist volunteer.
Please join us at 6:30 pm for socializing followed by the business meeting and presentation at 7:00 pm. Remember to buy your raffle ticket for the NICE! plant of the month (see below).
The thought for the day comes from Jim Stanley, Kerrville NPSOT member and President of Hill Country Master Naturalists: We are one day closer to the next big rain and to cooler weather than we were yesterday. I read the quote a week ago and every day I become more hopeful.
The drought is seriously affecting our recently planted trees and shrubs and the butterfly garden at the Cibolo Nature Center. CNC has adopted a policy of "We water on Wednesday." If you can help water, please show up early on Wednesday mornings. Watering starts at 7 AM and finishes at 10 AM.
Our next Second Saturday Workday at CNC will be September 9 from 7 to 10 AM. Bring tools, gloves, hats and drinking water. We want to spruce up the gardens for October 19 when we host the opening event for the NPSOT Annual Symposium. The symposium schedule is now available at www.npsot.org - great speakers, workshops and field trips. Many of the presenters have spoken to our chapter.
Judi Martin and Rebecca Rogers are planning and organizing the opening event. The theme of the event is deer overpopulation and its effect on native plants. The event will be sensational; they have great ideas. Please plan to help set up on October 19. It will be a lot of fun and will make our chapter proud!
Bigtooth Maples for Boerne is off and running, thanks to the hard work of Suzanne Young. Read more about the planned events in the newsletter.
The Tour of Yards on September 30 will hopefully show how adaptive native and xeric plants are to severe weather conditions. There are some really great gardens and yards on the tour. It should be interesting and informative to hear how others have coped with the heat and drought.
The nominating committee will present a slate of officers for 2006 - 2007 at our September meeting. We will vote on officers at our October meeting.
I want to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to the board members, committee chairpersons and chapter members who have made Boerne NPSOT the most admired chapter in the state! Kudos to you!
Cheers,
Kip
Imagine Boerne being the Bigtooth Maple Capital of Texas! The Native Plant Society of Texas Boerne Chapter has initiated a program to plant bigtooth maples throughout Boerne (BTM for Boerne) over a ten-year period. Thanks to the Lende Foundation, generous funds will be available each year to purchase trees to be planted inside Boerne city limits. We plan to expand our list of partners and grow the program so we can plant more trees and bring more fall color to Boerne faster.
Bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum) is valued for its drought tolerance and upright growth, making it ideal for planting along streets and in rocky landscapes. These maple trees are highly prized for their brilliant yellows, reds and oranges in the fall. Native to Boerne and the Edwards Plateau, bigtooth maples are sometimes called "lost maples" because concentrations of them are geographically isolated.
Guidelines and the application to adopt a tree are available on our website: http://www.npsot.org/Boerne/maplesforboerne. Baxter Adams, owner of Love Creek Orchard in Medina, will provide the trees for the BTM for Boerne program and has a good supply for purchase. The City of Austin also recommends this tree; so we have some competition.
To help ensure the success of the program, NPSOT members have volunteered to be mentors and monitors (M&Ms) for new tree owners and their maples. M&Ms will receive a 5-gallon tree in appreciation for attending the training course and a two-year commitment to monitor the newly planted trees.
Baxter instructed the M&Ms on the characteristics, planting and care of bigtooth maples at a short training course on August 19, 2006. He will speak at our November chapter meeting about Bigtooth Maples and Why We Don't Have More of Them.
The publicity kickoff for the BTM for Boerne program will be a float in the Kendall County Fair Parade in Boerne on Saturday, September 2. Tree of Dreams "If You Plant It, They Will Come!" is the float theme to emphasize that the fall color of the bigtooth maples will bring all sorts of visitors to Boerne. We want our awesome float to win first place for even more publicity in newspaper. So help us promote BTM for Boerne by joining us in the parade dressed as a tourist, shopper, golfer, nostalgic New Englander or any other personality who might come to Boerne to see bigtooth maples in the fall. Call Suzanne at 830-249-8240 for more information. Floats will be judged starting at 9am sharp, be at W. Advogt and School Street by 8:30am, if you are going to be in the parade. The parade begins at 10am.
This city-wide project already has attracted many sponsors: The City of Boerne Parks and Recreation Department, Agricultural Heritage Museum, Keep Boerne Beautiful and Cibolo Nature Center. Bigtooth Committee members are: Betty Dunn, Rebecca Rogers, Carolyn Walden, Bill Ward, Jan Wrede, and Suzanne Young, program coordinator.
The program logo, the poster, flyer and brochure were designed and produced by Paul Kirtley, who has 30 years of graphic design experience. Visit: http://pk-co.com/bigtooth.html to view them. Thanks to the City of Boerne for providing the printing. Thanks to Tom Rust for the pictures of Boerne's bigtooth maples used in the flyer.
Saturday, September 30, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, only!
Inspiration for your yard and garden will be in full bloom during the Third Annual Tour of Yards Sponsored by the Cibolo Nature Center (CNC) and Native Plant Society of Texas - Boerne Chapter. The Tour offers an alternative to traditional "water-hungry" landscaping with a variety of informal and more formal yards using diverse plants with something for every visitor to enjoy.
The free, self-guided Tour will feature ten spectacular yards, each one selected for its unique mixture of design, plant combinations and expressed individuality. Explore yards planted with natives to discourage deer-browsing and to attract and feed wildlife, a collection of native and near-native wildflowers, shrubs and trees planted in "planned chaos". Muse along the stream and under the waterfall found on an old farm and linger at the garden at the CNC's Lende Learning Center, which features a collection of trees and shrubs that grow in the Upper Cibolo drainage basin.
Master naturalists and horticultural experts from the CNC, Texas Department of Transportation, Native Plant Society of Texas, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and Texas Cooperative Extension Service will be on hand at various yards to educate visitors and answer questions.
Maps for the Tour, which winds its way through Boerne, Fair Oaks Ranch and other nearby neighborhoods, will be available at the CNC September 25 - 30.
Thursday, October 19 - Sunday, October 22, 2006
This symposium with the theme Convergence and Diversity: Native Plants of South Central Texas promises something for everyone. Talks and field trips will focus on gardening and conservation of native plants in South Central Texas where four ecosystems converge. The Symposium will be headquartered at the San Antonio Marriott Northwest hotel at the intersection of I-10 and Loop 410 on the northwest side of San Antonio.
The Boerne chapter will host the early bird's welcome at the Cibolo Nature Center on Thursday October 19 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm. Attendees will be able to take guided or unguided tours of the nature center grounds. Hor s'doeuvres and beverages will be served starting at 5:00. Welcoming remarks will begin at 6:00 followed by presentations by Rufus Stephens, Wildlife Biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife, and Jan Wrede, Education Director, Cibolo Nature Center on Hill Country Native Plant Conservation: Challenges and Solutions to a Relentless Problem.
The Boerne Chapter members need to stand out as hosts at the event; so please wear denim or khaki shirts, pants and/or skirts or a white shirt will also work. Each member also will be provided a red bandana to help set us apart.
The Planning Committee needs large plants and grasses in pots for decorating. If you can provide any, please bring to the Cibolo Nature Center on Thursday, October 19 by 9:00 a.m. or contact Wilt Shaw at WShawjr888@aol.com to make other arrangements.
More information is available on the NPSOT state website http://www.npsot.org/events/FallSymposium2006.htm.
Flame acanthus grows and blooms in full sun to dappled shade and seems to thrive in soils that are rarely irrigated and do not need to be fertilized. It is a small bush three or four feet high and thickens with time. The multi-branching limbs are lined with numerous lanced- shaped leaves two or three inches long. During the summer and into the fall, flame acanthus blooms profusely. Its orange-red to yellow- orange trumpet-shaped flowers are favorites of hummingbirds and butterflies. And if that isn't enough to make it a NICE! Plant, Bill Ward says that because they are flowering in his front yard they are not browsed by white tail deer! What more could you ask for in a plant for this area? Flame acanthus, also commonly known as Wright's desert honeysuckle, is low-maintenance and has no disease or insect problems. Cut it back in late winter to keep shrub compact and to increase blooms. The plant continues to bloom beautifully even in our drought conditions.
Vicki Sturgis has graciously agreed to take over as Hospitality Chair. Vicki vows to do her best, but will need the help from everyone in our chapter. So be sure and sign up to bring goodies. You only have to do it once! Please help make her job easier by signing-up. Vicki is from Beaumont, Texas, where her childhood memories lead led her to magnolia trees, tall east Texas pines, and big old oak trees. From an early age, she helped her godmother garden and grew to love roses. Vicki and Glen have been married 28 years and have lived here in Boerne for 22 years. They have 4 children and 3 beautiful granddaughters. When they remodeled their house 9 years ago, Vicki took some adult education classes for landscaping. She took Glen to one of Rufus Stephens' classes. That lit a fire under Glen; he even gave up hunting to work in the garden. Vicki went from hunting widow to gardening widow in zero to 90. Of course that led them to NPSOT. Glen is the gardener in the family and Vicki loves to see the results. There's nothing more peaceful than to sit and listen to all the birds your plants attract and smell the roses wafting on a breeze. It's heaven on earth.
Carolyn Walden is the new editor of the newsletter. Carolyn, a native Texan, went to Seattle in 1969 where she earned degrees in Fisheries Biology and Biostatistics from the University of Washington. While there she became an avid gardener, a seafood lover, a fanatical college and professional sports fan, and a fisherwoman. She returned to Texas in 2004 via Tucson - yes, a dramatic change in all things compared to Seattle. A five-year stint in the desert meant learning about all new flora and fauna, respecting things that stick, sting, bite, and slither on their bellies like a reptile (because they were), and dealing with a dry heat of 115 degrees, which by any definition is HOT. She and Stan also learned to love the desert and its flora and fauna. The nearby mountains that were home to four ecoregions from the low desert Saguaro cactus to the 9000 plus foot "sky islands" of aspen and pine forests, which provide migratory refuge and refueling stops for hummingbirds, provided respite from the heat and desert brown. Mother Nature's electrical light shows during the monsoon season, sunrises and sunsets were incomparable. Carolyn is glad to be home (you can take a Texan out of Texas, but probably not forever). She is on a fast track to learn about the flora and fauna of the Hill Country and will probably pester some of you to help her. Fun stuff includes gardening, hiking, photography, fishing, boating, just about any outdoor activity and cooking.
The Nominating Committee will present a slate of officers to the membership at the September meeting. Officers will be voted on at the October meeting. Please plan to attend.
September 2 (Saturday) - Kendall Country Fair parade in Boerne 10am - whenever. We will have a Bigtooth Maples for Boerne float to kick-off and promote the program.
September 9 (Saturday) - Second Saturday workday at the CNC 7am (for early birds who want to beat the heat) - 10am. We are going to weed and clean up the gardens that have become overgrown. Bring tools and gloves.
September 30 (Saturday) 9am-1pm Tour of Yards in Cordillera, Fair Oaks Ranch and Boerne - see how you can landscape with plants that are attractive and adapted to our demanding soil and climate. 10 yards emphasizing formal landscape with native plants, xeriscape, small city yard, array of native grasses, color, garden for butterflies, wildscape and more. Free, pick up descriptions and directions at the Cibolo Nature Center between Sept. 25-30.
(Call the CNC at 830 249-4616 for information and to make reservations)
September 16 (Saturday) 8am-10am, Boerne Birders at Boerne Lake parking lot near the dam - special outing for families with children ages 7 and up.
September 16 (Saturday) 10am-noon, Science in Nature at the CNC - family fun with scientists and outdoor science activities - Monarchs in Motion, Seedy Business, SKULLS, Go Fly a Kite and more.
September 23 (Saturday) 8am-1pm, Cedar Management Workshop, meet at CNC, to carpool to Dietz/Ressel Ranch (limit 30), - workshop sponsored by the Hill Country Land Stewards presents methods, equipment and choices in cedar clearing recommended by the Forest Service, Parks & Wildlife and Natural Resources Conservation Service for range improvement, forest ecology and wildlife conservation.
September 13-15 (We. - Fri.), Alpine, TX, 6th Annual Texas Plant Conservation Conference, a three-day conference will highlight plant conservation work from around the Southwest. More information at http://www.wildflower.org/?nd=tpcc
September 16 (Saturday) 9am-3pm, Fredericksburg NPSOT, Wildscapes: Gardening to Attract Wildlife. Information at: http://www.npsot.org/Fredericksburg/wildscapes/WildscapesWebFlyer.pdf
September 22-24 (Fri - Sun.) Seventh Annual Renewable Energy Roundup and Green Living Fair, Fredericksburg. The interest sectors include: 1) Renewable Energy, 2) Organic/Sustainable Growing, 3) Green Building and Sustainable Living and 4) Water Use and Reuse. Information at: http://theroundup.org/default.html
October 3 (Tuesday) Chapter meeting at CNC 7pm. Dr. John Abbott, Professor of Entomology, University of Texas will speak on The Ecology of Dragonflies and Damselflies
October 19 - 22 (Thurs. - Sun.) NPSOT Annual Meeting and Symposium, at the Marriott Northwest, San Antonio
(Call the CNC at 830 249-4616 for information and to make reservations)
October 7 (Saturday) 7pm, Celebrate the Cibolo gala fund raiser at the Cibolo Nature Center
October 7 - 14, Citizen Science Wildlife Field Research, a long-term wildlife project begun in 1998, monitors animals, aquatic life, vegetation and water quality at the CNC. Workshops (Sat., Mon. - Wed.) will be held on grasses, photo point surveys, aquatic invertebrates and GIS/GPS. Field surveys will be conducted on Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning. Contact Suzanne Young at suzanneY2@aol.com or 830-249-8240 for information and to sign-up.
October 7 (Saturday) The Texas Association of Cactus and Succulent Society's Fall Seminar "East Meets West in the Alamo City" at the San Antonio Marriott Northwest Hotel. Registration deadline is September 8, 2006. Contact Ann Black for more information: annblack@gvtc.com or 830-336-4471.
Please support the following businesses that sponsor our newsletter
| A LITTLE
NATURE STORE 106 E. Theissen St. Boerne 830-249-2281 |
BARKLEY'S NURSERY
CENTER 32450 IH 10W Boerne 830-249-8894 |
BERGMANN LUMBER
CO. 236 S. Main Boerne 830-249-2712 830-816-2193 |
FANICK'S GARDEN
CENTER 1025 Holmgreen San Antonio 210-648-1303 |
| HILL COUNTRY
AFRICAN VIOLETS &
NURSERY 32005 IH 10W Boerne 830-249-2614 |
REMAX
ASSOCIATES-BOERNE Bob Bockholt, GRI 110 E. Bandera, Boerne 830-816-2660, Free 800-455-1551 |
THE ANTIQUE ROSE
EMPORIUM 7561 East Evans Road San Antonio 210-651-4565 |