Grow with Us - Wicked Plants

This fun presentation by Master Gardene Kevin Burns covers plants that are deadly, illegal, intoxicating, dangerous, painful, and destructive/invasive. This presentation uses interesting historical anecdotes, photos to identify the plants and facts so gardeners can avoid these plants in their landscapes.

Kevin has been gardening for over 20 years. His passion for gardening began shortly after he and his wife were married and toured some formal gardens in Germany on their honeymoon. When he got home, he realized their backyard consisted of turf, a mimosa tree, and a chain link fence. He developed a plan for turning their yard into a pleasurable garden and it’s been evolving ever since.

Kevin loves native Texas perennial plants and roses. His wife suspects the reason he likes native perennials is because he is cheap and hates buying new plants each season. Along with having a green thumb Kevin tries to be as “green” as practical by keeping the families carbon footprint to a minimum. This includes composting, recycling, rainwater harvesting, making their own laundry soap, and using a clothesline instead of a dryer.

Kevin and his wife own a small 55-acre ranch in the Texas Hill Country outside of Fredericksburg which they run as a Bed and Breakfast. The property is a designated Wildlife Management Area. Along with providing sustenance to the native wild animals living on the property, they plant 25-75 new native trees and sow native grasses and wildflowers annually in an effort to return the property to its natural pre-cattle ranching state.

Along with gardening Kevin’s interests include cooking, travel, photography and an antique Alfa Romeo. He has loves cats and lives with 3 of them. Kevin and his wife try to always visit gardens and arboretums for inspiration and photographs wherever they travel.

Kevin joined DCMGA and the Speakers Bureau in 2011. His talks include: Texas Native and Adapted Plants, Wicked Weeds, Composting, Texas Wildflowers, Growing and Cooking with Herbs, Groundcovers

This program is available online only.

Grow with Us is a series of online sessions from the Dallas Public Library - Seed Library and Dallas Environmental Quality and Sustainability hosting expert speakers to share practical, informative, and inspirational information about growing and urban agriculture in Dallas.