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Native Plant Society of Texas

Fredericksburg Chapter

Gardens of Texas: Growing with Resilience

Faced with a challenging climate and increasing weather extremes, how can Texas gardeners adapt?

Pam Penick, a Texas garden writer, speaker, and advocate for climate-resilient design, has been known for inspiring waterwise, wildlife-friendly landscapes for nearly two decades. Drawing from the visionary landscapes in her new book, Gardens of Texas, Growing with Resilience, she shares how resilient gardeners are embracing change, shifting their plant palette toward Texas natives, nurturing wildlife, and finding deeper joy in the process. Discover practical strategies for creating gardens that weather the storms and grow stronger — see how cultivating resilience in your landscape can also cultivate it in yourself.

Penick’s writing has appeared in Better Homes & Gardens, Fine Gardening, American Gardener, and other publications. For 10 years she ran a landscape design business helping Texas homeowners replace thirsty lawns with waterwise gardens of native and well-adapted plants. Drawing on her experiences, Pam authored Gardens of Texas, Lawn Gone!, and The Water-Saving Garden. She’s also the founder of Garden Spark, an Austin-based speaker series on design and ecology, where she brings fresh ideas and bold voices to the local gardening community.

In her own “rather spiky garden under live oaks” in northwest Austin, she keeps an eye out for screech owls and foxes – but could do with fewer deer. Then she becomes the voice and photographer behind Digging, her influential website about gardening in a hot climate. Visit Digging at penick.net.

Gardens of Texas: Growing with Resilience, Pam’s new book, will be for sale at this month’s meeting on March 24 at St.Joseph’s Halle (212 W. San Antonio St., Fredericksburg). Meetings are free and open to the public.

Come early at 6:30 pm for cookies and visit with friends. The short business meeting and program begins at 7:00.  This month’s presentation will not be available on our YouTube channel.

Explore the Fredericksburg NPSOT chapter and the gardening community online at Facebook (@fbgtxnpsot), Instagram (@npsot_fredericksburg_chapter), and https://npsot.org/chapters/fredericksburg/.

 

About the Region

Fall Symposium 2025 Logo - Teach for the Future

Salado, the location of our Fall 2025 Symposium, lies at the intersection of two ecoregions: the Edwards Plateau (Limestone Cut Plain) and Blackland Prairie (Northern Blackland Prairie).

The Edwards Plateau area is also called the Hill Country; however, this general term covers a much larger area extending farther north. Spring-fed creeks are found throughout the region; deep limestone canyons, rivers, and lakes (reservoirs) are common. Ashe juniper is perhaps the most common woody species found throughout the region. Additional woody species include various species of oak, with live oak (Quercus fusiformis) being the most common. Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) border waterways. This area is well known for its spring wildflower displays, though they may be viewed in spring, late summer, and fall, as well. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, average annual rainfall in the Edwards Plateau ranges from 15 to 34 inches.

The Blackland Prairie extends from the Red River south to San Antonio, bordered on the west by the Edwards Plateau and the Cross Timbers, and on the east by the Post Oak Savannah. Annual rainfall averages 30 to 40 inches, with higher averages to the east. This region is dominated by prairie species. The most common grass species include little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) in the uplands and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in the riparian areas and drainages. Common herbaceous flowering plants include salvias, penstemons, and silphiums. This area has suffered greatly from overgrazing and agricultural use. Few intact areas remain, though many of the plants can be found along county roadsides throughout the region.

Our fall Symposium host chapter, the Tonkawa Chapter, includes both of these ecoregions.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason