Central Texas gardeners, join me on Thursday, December 7, for a Garden Spark talk by Austin landscape architect Shaney Clemmons, principal and founder of Shademaker Studio. She’ll tell us why biodiverse hedges are a greener choice than fences — in every sense — including which hedge-appropriate plants are performing best in Austin’s extreme weather. It’s shrub- and tree-planting season, so come learn about greener ways to screen your garden at Shaney’s talk!

Tickets are on sale now, but seats are limited. Grab yours today at https://garden-spark.ticketleap.com/garden-spark-shaney-clemmons/

And join my email list if you’d like to be notified about future talks! Simply send me an email with “Subscribe” in the subject line.

Hedge Fun: How Hedges Beat Fences for Wildlife Habitat and a Healthier Ecosystem and Why You Need One

Instead of spending your landscaping budget on a fence, learn why planting a hedge is the greener choice — in every sense. Biodiverse hedges provide shelter and food for urban wildlife, create and connect wildlife corridors, and reduce impervious cover, creating a healthier ecosystem and more comfortable climate while also mitigating stormwater runoff. Landscape architect Shaney Clemmons explains why her firm, Shademaker Studio, started the Hedge Pledge three years ago and how planting hedges has improved her clients’ gardens. Learn why climate-resilient plant design is important, how to increase plant diversity in an existing garden, and which plants are performing best in Austin’s extreme temperatures of recent years. 

Speaker Bio

Shaney Clemmons is the principal and founder of Shademaker Studio, a small landscape architecture studio in East Austin. A licensed landscape architect with over 25 years of experience, Shaney takes on projects ranging from single-family residential gardens to hundreds of miles of scenic byways.

Shaney spent her childhood spelunking the lava flow caves of southern Idaho and working the fields of the family farm, cutting and baling alfalfa on the Camas Prairie. These early experiences shaped how she spends her time as an adult, both professionally and personally, and have made her a passionate observer and advocate for the outdoors. Since moving to Austin in 2013, Shaney has become an advocate for improving soil health, reducing impervious cover and stormwater runoff, and increasing biodiversity within our urban gardens. Follow Shademaker Studio on Instagram.

When/Where

Shaney will speak on Thursday, December 7th at 7 pm. The approximately 1-hour talk with Q&A will be held at Barton Springs Nursery: 3601 Bee Cave Road, Austin 78746. Seating will be outdoors under the big live oak. In the event of rain, seating will be in the event barn.

Tickets

Ticket price is $35.50, plus a small fee that goes to the ticket-processing website. 40 seats will be available initially. I’ll open additional seats the week of the talk if the weather forecast looks good (more seating is available outside than inside). If you find the first round of tickets is sold out, please email me to be added to the waitlist. There’s a chance additional seats will open later.

Refund Policy

Tickets are nonrefundable. Your attendance helps cover a fair speaking fee for our presenters and other expenses, and collectively we’re able to bring talented design thinkers to speak to us!

Thank You to Our Sponsor!

The 2023-24 season 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 best selections of native and well-adapted plants for this area.

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Digging Deeper

Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events that sell out quickly, so join the Garden Spark email list to be notified in advance; simply click this link and ask to be added. Season 8 kicks off in fall 2024. Stay tuned for more info!

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