News and announcements from our committee chairs, board members, and chapter leaders. Subscribe to our mailing list to stay up to date. For chapter news, visit Chapters. If you are looking for a calendar of events, see our Events Calendar.
Awards announced for 2010
Annual awards were presented at the Saturday evening banquet during our 30th anniversary celebration in Denton
Possumhaw, the NICE! Holiday Holly for the Hill Country
By Bill Ward Boerne Chapter Native Plant SocietyPublished in The Boerne Star on October 3, 2010 My wife knows how I complain that so many merchants rush the Christmas season, but here I am at Halloween time about to allude to Christmas time. However, our Operation NICE! Plant of the
Boerne Chapter NPSOT turns ten
Author: Bill Ward It all started in the summer of 2000, when Rebecca Rogers and Judi Martin wondered why there wasn’t a garden club that focused on native plants. Rebecca contacted Nina Nye, because she heard Nina belonged to some sort of society for native plants. Nina sent her to
Salvias are NICE! for all seasons, especially the fall
Author: Bill Ward I admit it. I’ve become a “salvia junky.” We have over 15 different species of salvia in our yard. There seem to be salvias to fit any garden, shady or sunny, and they are easy to grow. These perennials flower in several colors, and there are salvias
October 2010
NICE! Plant of the Month (Salvia greggii, S. coccinea, & S. regla) Family: Laminaceae (Mint Family) Type: Flowering. Autumn sage (shrub, 2-3′); tropical (forb, 1-3′); mountain (shrub, 3-6′) Natural Habitat: In the US, greggii & regla are found naturally only in Texas; coccinea can be found in Texas and many
Desired future conditions apply to more that just the aquifer
By Delmar Cain In July representatives of the Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District met with representatives from other groundwater districts from surrounding counties as part of the Groundwater Management Area 9 to decide what our aquifer levels should be in 2060. At that meeting I first heard of the concept
September 2010
NICE! Plant of the Month Conoclinium (Eupatorium) coelestinum, Conoclinium (Eupatorium) greggii Family: Asteraceae Other Common Names: Wild ageratum, blue boneset, Gregg’s blue mistflower Type: Perennial, flowering plant can reach 1 ½ foot height in garden (generally lower) Natural Habitat: Moist woods in East, Southeast and North Central Texas; Gregg’s mistflower
Two worthy additions to your bookshelf
Texas Cacti and Hill Country Landowner Guide both belong on every native plant lovers bookshelf
Society adopts collection policy
Basically, the policy boils down to: always get permission before collecting. And if the plant is an endangered species, get a permit.
Something a little different
Our backyard has three “non-standard” native plants that are brightening our landscape during the summer heat.
Backyard wildflowers — something a little different
Author: Bill Ward We have many different kinds of native plants in our yard, not only to conserve water, but also because we think they make landscaping our yard more interesting and enjoyable. Luckily, we can get a variety of native plants from nurseries in Boerne or nearby in Medina,
NPSOT — not a society of garden clubs
Author: Bill Ward Many people unfamiliar with the Native Plant Society of Texas seem to envision the organization as a collection of garden clubs for native-plant geeks. NPSOT may have some obsessive enthusiasts (i.e., geeks), but no chapter of NPSOT is a garden club. Of course, cultivating native plants in
