By Bill Ward
Published in The Boerne Star on December 3, 2004
Boerne chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will present the SUN Award (Standing Up for Natives award) to both Boerne City Planner Chris Turk and City Parks and Recreation Director Linda Donarski.
Our chapter seeks to recognize and compliment these two city officials for their efforts to use native plants in Boerne landscaping.
Chris Turk has long recognized the virtues of using native plants in city landscapes. He was instrumental in getting native trees planted or preserved in Veterans Park, the Boerne Cemetery and River Road Park. Veterans Park is a good place to see some native Hill Country trees, such as cedar elm, redbud, liveoak, chinkapin oak, burr oak red oak, Texas mountain laurel and big-tooth maple.
Linda Donarski made special efforts to encourage landscaping with native trees, shrubs and wildflowers along the city’s new hike-and-bike trail that is being developed along the old San Antonio-Fredericksburg and Northern Railroad right-of-way. This former railroad track is now the Old No. 9 Greenway, which offers public green space for walking, jogging, bike riding and picnicking.
Following the dedication ceremony for the hike-and-bike trail Oct. 30, school children and members of local organizations spread native wildflower seeds along the trail. This event was coordinated by Linda Donarski and included participation by Kendall Elementary School’s KLEAN Team, Keep Boerne Beautiful and our Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) chapter.
The wildflower seeds were spread by seed balls made by the KLEAN (Kendall Learning about Environment And Nature) team. The Boerne NPSOT donated some wildflower seed and the parks department purchased the rest of the seed from Native American Seed, which sells only truly native-Texas seed. (As this column has pointed out in the past, most commercially available wildflower seed mixes contain large portions of exotic seed.)
The Boerne NPSOT chapter, in cooperation with the city, is buying native trees and shrubs for planting along this hike-and-bike trail. Both Donarski and Turk have helped expedite this Boerne chapter community-service project.
The first group of natives was planted by our chapter members at the Blanco Road crossing. The city dug the holes and provided mulch and water. In a few years this spot will be shaded by big-tooth maples, various oaks and cedar elms.
Our chapter already has allocated additional funds to purchase more native trees and shrubs to plant at other locations along the trail. In the near future, red bud, Texas mountain laurel and Mexican plum will provide spring blossoms; bigtooth maple and cedar elm will give fall color to the trail.
Recently the Boerne City Council has made some decisions that show an enlightened appreciation for the native plant as an integral element in conservation of the quality and quantity of both surface water and ground water. The Council has discussed officially encouraging the use of native plants and granting permits to allow residences to have native-plant gardens which include wildflowers and tall grasses.
Last year the city waived an ordinance that would have required Bob and Dani Vollmer to mow native wildflowers and grasses in their yard before the plants had gone to seed.
The City Council recently approved requiring developers to (1) set aside open space within new subdivisions and (2) protect large heritage trees as well as any liveoak with a diameter of 36 inches or more.
Also, there are plans to prohibit sodding new lawns with water-consuming St. Augustine grass and to encourage using buffalo and zoysia.
Maybe the whole City Council should be given the SUN award.
