Come hear a talk by Plano prairie gardener Michael McDowell in Austin

Central Texas gardeners, articulation maine connected Thursday, November 14, astatine 7 p.m. for a Garden Spark talk by Michael McDowell, amended known by his Instagram grip @PlanoPrairieGarden. It’ll beryllium a large learning acquisition and a amusive accidental for assemblage with chap plot lovers! Tickets are connected merchantability now. This is an in-person lawsuit and seating is limited, truthful drawback your spot today.

I’ve admired Michael’s homegrown prairie plot successful the ‘burbs of North Texas for much than a decennary and person photographed it respective times: here, here, and here. I’m besides featuring it successful my forthcoming publication astir Texas gardens, owed retired successful Fall 2025.

Michael’s mostly autochthonal plot of prairie plants is simply a monarch waystation each autumn arsenic they marque the agelong formation to Mexico, and it’s a pollinator’s paradise passim the increasing season. Michael is bucking the bushed contented of a monoculture of lawn, with spectacular results: a diverseness of plants with small watering and nary mowing required; situation for wildlife and autochthonal plants; and quality crossed the seasons.

Michael volition speech astir however helium accomplished each this connected a fund and what it takes to support it going.

Lawn Free: How I Transformed My Lawn into a Prairie Garden

Why settee for a boring, thirsty tract erstwhile you tin make a dynamic prairie plot that changes with the seasons and benefits the environment? That’s precisely what Michael McDowell thought erstwhile helium acceptable retired to make his Plano prairie plot successful the suburbs 20 miles northbound of Dallas. Michael volition amusement however helium transformed his gait from a lawn-dominant scenery to a lawn-free prairie plot and however his imaginativeness continues to germinate arsenic helium and the plot mature. He’ll stock his tips for gardening connected a fund (hint: propagation and patience), explicate however he’s stayed connected bully presumption with neighbors and disconnected the radar of spot standards officers, and amusement however resilient prairie plants are successful spite of utmost upwind and different challenges.

Speaker Bio

Michael McDowell started gardening astatine a young property and planted galore rows of evenly spaced marigolds and petunias. When helium got his hands connected a transcript of Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region by Sally and Andy Wasowski, it changed his position of what a plot could beryllium and, perhaps, should beryllium successful Texas. He began searching for the Texas autochthonal plants that helium work astir successful the publication and incorporated them into his scenery erstwhile helium could find them. As autochthonal plants became much disposable and h2o became much scarce, helium decided to absorption solely connected the plants that evolved to thrive connected the Texas prairie with lone the h2o and nutrients that quality provided. 

Michael gained familiarity with the ways of prairie plants successful the privateness of his backyard. When helium started removing his beforehand lawn, an unconscionable enactment successful Plano, helium documented his advancement connected his blog Plano Prairie Garden. He thought his blog posts would supply grounds that his non-traditional scenery was intentional and not the effect of laziness, should a spot standards serviceman sound connected his door. They didn’t. He present posts arsenic Plano Prairie Garden connected Instagram. His blog archives day backmost to 2009, and helium regularly refers radical to the Resources and Plant List pages.

Michael spends his enactment days arsenic a compliance manager successful the highly regulated security industry. He researches security statutes, regulations, and lawsuit instrumentality to guarantee his employer’s concern practices are compliant. Creativity with security laws tin get you fined oregon imprisoned, truthful gardening is his originative outlet.

When/Where: November 14th astatine 7 pm

Michael volition speak on Thursday, 11/14 astatine 7 pm. The astir 1-hour speech with Q&A volition beryllium held astatine Barton Springs Nursery successful Austin. Seating volition beryllium outdoors nether the large unrecorded oak. In the lawsuit of rain, seating volition beryllium successful the lawsuit barn.

Tickets

Purchase your summons astatine this link. Ticket terms is $35.50, positive a tiny interest that goes to the ticket-processing website.

Refund Policy

Tickets are nonrefundable. Your acquisition helps screen a just speaking interest for our presenters and different expenses, and collectively we’re capable to bring talented plan and ecology thinkers to talk to us!

Thank You to Our Sponsor!

The 2024-25 autumn play of Garden Spark is sponsored by Barton Springs Nursery, which has been serving the needs of Central Texas gardeners since 1986 by offering one of the champion selections of autochthonal and well-adapted plants for this area.

Subscribe to Garden Spark

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Digging Deeper

Come larn astir gardening and plan astatine Garden Spark! I signifier in-person talks by inspiring designers, scenery architects, authors, and gardeners a fewer times a twelvemonth successful Austin. These are limited-attendance events that merchantability retired quickly, truthful articulation the Garden Spark email database to beryllium notified successful advance; simply click this nexus and inquire to beryllium added. Read each astir the Season 8 lineup here!

All worldly © 2024 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

The station Come perceive a speech by Plano prairie gardener Michael McDowell successful Austin appeared archetypal connected Digging.