Garden Club

Barton Hills Garden Club Presents “Design for Drought Resilience” Sept. 22

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The Barton Hills Garden Club invites neighbors to its September program, “Design for Drought Resilience,” featuring Austin landscape designer and garden educator Leah Churner.

The program will be held Tuesday, September 22, from 9:15–11:00 a.m. in the auditorium at Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX 78746. The program is free with admission to the garden.

Designing a Garden for Austin’s Changing Climate

As our climate becomes increasingly unpredictable, each year seems to bring new gardening challenges. Churner will share practical tips and strategies for making Austin gardens more resilient to drought and extreme temperatures.

Rather than simply choosing plants labeled “drought tolerant” or “low water,” the program will explore how thoughtful planning, plant arrangement and garden maintenance can improve a landscape’s ability to withstand difficult conditions.

Topics will include ways to use shade as a resource, conserve water, time outdoor gardening tasks more effectively and avoid becoming discouraged by the Texas heat. Attendees will leave with new ideas for sustaining a garden and helping it thrive—even during the furnace of a late Texas summer.

About Leah Churner

Austin-based landscape designer and garden educator Leah Churner of Delta Dawn Gardens specializes in native plants and ecological design.

A recent Barton Hills project she designed, “Pollinators’ Paradise,” was featured in the 2025 Garden Conservancy Open Days Tour of Travis County.

Churner has taught classes in landscape design at the Wildflower Center, UT Austin, Austin Community College and the Native Plant Society of Texas. She has also made several appearances on Austin PBS’s Central Texas Gardener.

Program Details

  • What: Design for Drought Resilience
  • Presenter: Leah Churner
  • When: Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 9:15–11:00 a.m.
  • Where: Zilker Botanical Garden Auditorium, 2220 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX 78746
  • Cost: Free with garden admission
  • Presented by: Barton Hills Garden Club
  • Questions: Debby McCray Shaw at austinbizw@yahoo.com

Barton Hills Garden Club Meeting Tuesday, April 28

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This month’s featured program, “What’s the Buzz About?”, will be presented by Elissa Sexton, a beekeeper and licensed real estate professional who combines her passion for nature with a commitment to environmental stewardship. Elissa will share how beekeeping can be accessible and rewarding, offering insights into the vital role bees play in our ecosystem and how you can support pollinators at home.

The Barton Hills Garden Club invites neighbors and gardening enthusiasts to join us for our next meeting on Tuesday, April 28, from 9:00–11:00 AM at the Zilker Botanical Garden Auditorium.

Founded in 1960, the Barton Hills Garden Club is celebrating its 65th year of bringing neighbors together. The club’s mission is to provide a friendly, social forum for members while promoting the advancement of gardening and encouraging civic beautification throughout our community.

The Garden Club holds monthly meetings on the fourth Tuesday from September through May at 9:15 AM at Zilker Botanical Gardens.

This meeting is free and open to the public, and visitors are always welcome—no membership required to attend.

For those interested in becoming a member, annual dues are $35, and members receive a directory, brochure, and garden club card.

To join, please mail your check to:
Consuelo Davidson
11563 Shelleys Run
Montgomery, TX 77316

For more information, contact Debby McCray Shaw at 512-496-2094 or email austinbiz@yahoo.com

We hope you’ll join us for a morning of learning, community, and inspiration as we explore the fascinating world of bees and how they help our gardens—and Barton Hills—thrive.