Wildscape Workshop to be held in Houston on September 26

The Houston chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will hold its twelfth annual Wildscapes Workshop on Saturday, September 26. The speakers at the workshop will cover a variety of topics, although the emphasis of the workshop is going to be on using native plants to create diverse, brilliant environments that can be easily sustained and will attract many types of butterflies and birds. Other topics will include how to lower the amount of water used to maintain your garden, how to reduce pollution, and how to make your garden more green (in the environmental sense).

The workshop will have four different sessions focusing on natural environments. Each will give attendees an idea of how to tailor their gardens to be biodiverse and attract local birds and insects. The sessions include the following:

• Jack Brady, a research assistant at the Texas Agrilife Research and Extension Center, will talk about native pollinators. His discussion will include information on native bees and how to attract them to your garden to help pollinate your plants

• Mark Bronstad of Doremus Nursery will present “Great Plants for a Wildscapes Landscape.” He will discuss how to make use of many of the native plants that will be available for sale at the workshop’s native plant sale.

• Jaime Gonzales of the Katy Prairie Conservatory will speak on prairie rescues and biodiversity. The Katy Prairie Conservatory has helped protect native plants that were on the verge of being destroyed because of construction and other projects.

• Farrar Stockton, President of the Butterfly Enthusiasts of Southeast Texas, will give a presentation on local butterflies that live in the Houston area. He will also talk about monarch butterflies and their migration patterns.

In addition to the four presentations, the workshop will also include a native plant sale where attendees can purchase many of the flowers and plants featured in Mark Bronstad’s presentation.