I created this presentation to make gardeners aware of the Texas laws regarding gardening and water conservation in Texas. This provides a basic understanding of the written law for better interactions with and between Homeowners Associations, cities, and other groups.
Julienne has lived in Dripping Springs since 2005. Having lived in the Midwest, and then the West, she quickly learned that she knew nothing about gardening in Texas. She bought […]
Julienne has lived in Dripping Springs since 2005. Having lived in the Midwest, and then the West, she quickly learned that she knew nothing about gardening in Texas. She bought books, attended talks, and joined Facebook groups. Those all helped, but she had many more ‘misses’ than successes.
Then one day she happened upon a talk by the Master Gardeners about Texas Superstars at the Dripping Springs Library. This was her first taste of the Master Gardener’s program, and she was hooked! She took the Master Gardener course as soon as she could. She wanted to learn to be a more effective and capable Texas gardener, make new friends, and contribute to our community. Then she got involved with the Native Plant Society Hill Country Chapter as her interests lie in promoting native landscapes.
Julienne spent many years presenting about information technology and computer systems – she finds talking about gardening and native plants is much more fun!
She created this presentation to make gardeners aware of the Texas laws regarding gardening and water conservation in Texas. This provides a basic understanding of the written law for better interactions with and between Homeowners Associations, cities, and other groups.
This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.
The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.
Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.
Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason
