npsot_bluebonnet_full_color

Boerne Chapter

The native-plant garden and nursery in Medina, Texas

The newest participant in the Boerne Chapter’s Operation NICE! (Natives Instead of Common Exotics!) is Medina Garden Nursery. It’s on Highway 16, just at the southeastern entrance to the little town of Medina and right across the road from Baxter Adams’ tree nursery, the supplier for of our annual Bigtooth Maples for Boerne giveaway.

“Medina Garden Nursery” is the perfect name for this business, because it is both a nursery and a native-plant garden. The hundreds of potted plants for sale are lined up on the ground among the native trees, shrubs, and flowers planted in the big “front yard” of Ernesto Cariño’s rock house. Ernesto and his long-time friend Ysmael Espinosa own and operate this garden-nursery.

Two people sitting in front of a colorful bed of wildflowers
Ysmael Espinosa (left) and Ernesto Cariño at their native-plant nursery in Medina. (Photo by Wilt Shaw)

Ernesto and Ysmael met when they both worked at HEB in Kerrville during the late 1990s. Ysmael, who was born and raised in Kerrville, still works at that HEB and does double duty on his times off as a nurseryman and landscaper. Currently he and his family live in Medina.

Ernesto came to the US from the Mexican state of Puebla during the 1960s. Eventually he moved to Medina and built the rock house. Ernesto is an accomplished oil painter, but for the present, there is no time for art in his busy nursery and landscaping career.

After work hours during the days they both were with HEB, Ysmael and Ernesto used to help out at Betty Winningham’s nursery. This was at the time Betty was starting her Natives of Texas Nursery on Highway 16 between Kerrville and Medina. From Betty, they learned a lot about propagating and marketing native plants.

Before long, Ernesto and Ysmael thought they might start a nursery and landscape business of their own on Ernesto’s land in Medina. Working with Betty Winningham, they had learned to appreciate the value of water-conserving native plants for local landscaping. Besides that, Ernesto’s previous experience with his property reinforced the idea that their business should emphasize the use of native plants.

In early years, Ernesto had landscaped his yard with whatever plants were popular at the nurseries. Then every time he left for extended visits to family in Mexico, those plants dried up and died. Ernesto soon realized he needed plants more adapted to the hot Hill Country summers.

When they decided to start their nursery specializing in native plants, a lot of practical advice and encouragement came from their Tarpley neighbor Dorothy Matissa, one of the pioneers in promoting native plants for Hill Country gardens. In addition, Chuck Janzow of Boerne taught them many tricks of the trade about propagating natives.

Several other people prominent in the native-plant movement also became aware of this Medina nursery. Sally and Andy Wasowski, on their way to visit cousins in Utopia, began to stop by from time to time to encourage Ernesto and Ysmael in their efforts to grow and sell native plants. Jill Nokes also got wind of the Medina Garden Nursery and came to lend advice and encouragement. Sue Tracy, who lives in the Medina area, became one of their staunch supporters. This nursery soon earned a good name for itself far and wide.

Image of butterflies swarming a cluster of white flowers
Butterflies nectaring on thoroughwort blooms at Medina Garden Nursery. (Photo by Wilt Shaw)

Ysmael and Ernesto have experimented with growing and propagating many different water-conserving plants found in the Hill Country, West Texas, and northern Mexico. It is always fun to see what plants they’ll try next. That nursery offers a few species probably seldom available anywhere else.

Medina Garden Nursery is located on an alluvial terrace of the Medina River and so has better soil than is in most Hill Country yards. Realizing that they need to promote landscape plants that will tolerate the thin, dry soils more typical of the limestone hills in this part of Texas, Ernesto and Ysmael created a “caliche” garden.

They dug out many cubic yards of good soil from a large plot and replaced it with calcareous rocky material almost like road base. Then they planted an array of native shrubs and wildflowers that thrive in this seemingly hostile terrain. It’s a beautiful plot that has educated a lot of customers.

The many native plants that have been growing in the ground for years at this nursery provide a unique service for customers. They illustrate the size and appearance of the mature species in a landscape setting. Also, there are examples of shrubs and wildflowers that attract swarms of nectaring butterflies during the bloom periods. Other plants in the garden are the special host plants for the larvae of those very butterflies.

Ernesto and Ysmael have not only established a native-plant nursery, they also have created a teaching garden.

Receive the latest native plant news

Subscribe To Our News

Subscribe to emails from the Native Plant Society of Texas.

Receive emails when new posts are added 4-6 times per month, or receive an email once a month.

Or join us on social media

About the Region

New Braunfels, the location of our Fall 2024 Symposium, straddles both the Edwards Plateau Ecoregion and the Blackland Prairie ecoregion. Interstate 35 divides the city of New Braunfels; its path through the city closely parallels the boundary of these two ecoregions, with the Edwards Plateau on the west side and the Blackland Prairies region to the east. 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 four host chapters (New Braunfels, Lindheimer, Guadalupe, and the Hill Country chapters) are located in one or both of the ecoregions above. However, the eastern portion of Guadalupe County also falls within the Post Oak Savanna ecoregion. Annual rainfall averages 35 to 45 inches, with higher averages to the east. A wide variety of hardwood trees are found, including several species of oaks, elms, and in the Bastrop area, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Grasses and forbs dominate in the open savannas, with most common grass being little bluestem. Ranching, agriculture, and fire suppression have allowed woody species to encroach on the once-open savannas.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason