by Carolyn Walden – Boerne Chapter, Native Plant Society of Texas
Published in Boerne Star on March 13, 2015
It appears that drought is the new climatology norm for the Texas Hill Country, which brings with it mandatory watering restrictions and thirsty or even worse, dead plants. But don’t despair, that doesn’t mean that we can’t have nice looking landscapes. How do we do that, you ask? First, leave existing native vegetation undisturbed as much as possible – natives have evolved to live here, are generally disease resistant, have already proven they can withstand drought, and will require little maintenance and watering, while preserving the Heritage Hill Country appeal of the area. Second, xeriscape by using drought-tolerant and locally adapted natives and properly locate them in your landscape with respect to sun exposure, soil type, and drainage. Third, avoid planting non-native plants (exotics) that can be invasive and costly to maintain. There is a variety of both deciduous and evergreen native trees and shrubs, perennials, turf and bunch grasses, groundcovers and vines available locally to create an appealing, colorful landscape. A bonus is that you will provide habitats that attract butterflies, hummingbirds, songbirds, pollinators and other wildlife to your property. Many varieties of native plants are also deer resistant once established.
Don’t know where to start? Good examples are the plantings at the Cibolo Nature Center, the Boerne public library, the Bergheim Fire Station, and entry plantings at several of the subdivisions in the Hill Country. The Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) Boerne Chapter promotes the use of native plants in the community and provides a wealth of information on our website http://www.npsot.org/wp/boerne/. Check out the Plant of the Month tab for 13 years of posters of flowers, shrubs, vines trees and grasses that have been NICE! ™ (Natives Instead of Common Exotics) program featured plants. Click on a year to view the poster, which provides pictures and links to planting and care instructions for each of the featured plants. Also check out the Publications tab where you will find links to the NPSOT Monthly Newsletters, which include an article and pictures (in PDF version only) for that month’s featured plant and articles on gardening for butterflies and hummingbirds. The website also contains Recommended Native Plants for Boerne & Surrounding Counties (see the right sidebar on the Homepage for the links).
Several nurseries in Boerne and San Antonio sell native plants and are good resources. Consider a nice half or whole day trip to some of the regional nurseries you might not have discovered. Medina Garden Nursery in Medina http://medinagardennursery.com/ and Natives of Texas, outside of Kerrville, http://www.nativesoftexas.com/ are excellent places to not only buy plants, but to wander through demonstration gardens to see where and how natives grow and the “critters” they feed and house. The owners love to show people the gardens, share their extensive knowledge and provide you with the right plants for your needs.
Consider attending a NPSOT Boerne chapter meeting the first Tuesday of each month, September–June, at the Cibolo Nature Center. Come at 6:30 to socialize and meet some friendly, knowledgeable folks who would love to talk with you about native plants, followed by an informative presentation at 7 pm. Finally, attend the Mostly Native Plant Sale April 4 at the Kendall County Fairgrounds; visit the NPSOT booth for a wide selection of plants and lots of help and information.
Newly planted natives will need to 1) be watered until established; 2) be caged for protection from deer, even if listed as deer resistant (none are deer proof; deer can’t resist tender young leaves and flowers and may rub their antlers on young branches and trunks); and 3) be mulched, which provides organic nutrients, conserves moisture and provides temperature control. See the website for plant-specific instructions. Native plants do not require much if any additional fertilizer; but if you do fertilize, use an organic/natural fertilizer, (chemical-based fertilizers will burn the roots). Established native plants require little water, maintenance, fertilizer and pesticides (never use systemics as they can harm the wildlife you are trying to attract that feed on the plants).
So guess what? You have just saved precious water, beautified your landscape, reduced maintenance costs and time, and helped restore and preserve native and heritage wildlife habitats of the Texas Hill Country. Who could ask for more? Well, okay you want to know some specific drought tolerant plants. I’ll do that in a follow-up article, so stay tuned.