Water Conservation Series: Water Conserving Plants; Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds

**The Water Conservation Series session "Xeriscape, Rain Gardens, & Prairie Ponds" that was originally scheduled for this date has been moved to Monday, July 24th. To register for that program, please click here.**

Water Conserving Plants; Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds

Discover the best native plants to attract butterflies and beneficial wildlife to your yard.  This is an interactive course presented from an artistic and amateur scientific point of view and is designed to appeal to all levels of butterfly, gardening, and wildlife enthusiasts.  During the class we will review the underlying principles of habitat creation, then go through the steps needed to create multi-seasonal butterfly and pollinator habitats.  We'll discuss:

• habitat
• soil
• basic design principles
• growing from seed
• planting for sustained bloom
• create your own garden design in an interactive exercise.

No textbook is required, and you do not need a large garden to participate.  The basic principles discussed can easily be used in small spaces such as flowerpots on balconies, small, raised beds, or any number of planting alternatives.  Activities outside the classroom are optional and include:

• measuring the area selected to design the student's own butterfly garden
• observing and noting solar aspect
• noting shade areas
• identifying where buildings are in relation to the planned garden.

Water Conservation Series

This session is part of the Water Conservation Series. These workshops were developed in response to common questions and concerns about various topics related to water conservation, water quality, pollution increases, and ecological issues.  The workshops provide a brief overview (with a chance for questions and answers) for Texas Hill Country residents to better understand where our water comes from and how to protect this important resource. The 10 sessions in this weekly series take place on Mondays from 12:00pm to 1:30pm beginning June 5th and ending August 7th. Feel free to bring your lunch while you learn of ways we all can protect our precious water sources!

Join us for all 10 session in this series or just the sessions that interest you!

• Session 1: June 5 - Aquifers
• Session 2: June 12 - Rain Harvesting
• Session 3: June 19 - Rain Barrels and Wicking Gardens
• Session 4: June 26 - Drip Irrigation
• Session 5: July 3 - Find and Fix Leaks at Home
• Session 6: July 10 - Landscape & Lawn Care in Our Semi-Arid Texas Hill Country
• Session 7: July 17 - Water Conserving Plants; Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds
• Session 8: July 24 - Xeriscape, Rain Gardens, & Prairie Ponds
• Session 9: July 31 - Composting
• Session 10: August 7 - Pruning for Winter and Frost Protection

About the Speaker

This session in the Water Conservation Series is presented by the following speaker:

Steven Grainger, PhD
Doctorate from Texas A&M
Hydrologist and Good Guy
Master Gardener; comalmg.org
Dr. Steven Grainger is a retired Aggie Texas Professional Engineer who turned to Master Gardening yet still practices his analytical skills.  He specializes in Irrigation Efficiency and Rainwater Harvesting but is currently also working to specialize in Trees and Tree Care.  He has been a Master Gardener in Comal County for 11 years having served once as President, and now serves as Water Conservation Chair and Vice Chair of the AgriLife Extension Facilities Steering Committee.  He also is Outreach Co-chair on the Comal County Conservation Alliance Board of Directors.  As a person deeply committed to preserving our natural land and water resources, he and his wife of 52 years actively encourage others to do so, too.  He can also advise on landscaping for water efficiency and retention or storm water management. Our services are always free, and we welcome questions anytime.

Learn more about Dr. Grainger's work here: www.rainbees.com