Pam Penick’s latest book, “The Gardens of Texas: Visions of Resilience from the Lone Star State” (Timber Press, 2025), celebrates the tenacity and range of gardening approaches across her home state. Whether a pocket prairie in an urban neighborhood, a crevice garden in Central Texas or a desert oasis in the west, these human-made landscapes are not only visually captivating, but designed to thrive in extreme conditions: intense heat, drought, floods and freezes. Although Texas is half a continent away from the temperate PNW, the book presents a bounty of relevant lessons to all gardeners navigating a rapidly changing climate.

Pam captures the motivations, challenges, joys and rewards of 27 intrepid garden-makers who, through true-grit determination and innovation, have adapted to Texas’ extreme climates and challenging growing conditions. By implementing hardy plant choices, rainwater harvesting, native lawns and other responsive design strategies, they’ve created dynamic, thriving gardens that work in harmony with the state’s natural beauty. Penick presents these spaces as case studies, offering practical takeaways and savvy plant recommendations.

Speaker’s bio:

Austin-based Pam is an accessible and influential garden writer, speaker and advocate for climate-resilient design, known for inspiring waterwise, wildlife-friendly landscapes for nearly two decades. For 10 years she ran a landscape design business helping Texas homeowners replace thirsty lawns with waterwise gardens of native and well-adapted plants.  

Pam is the voice and photographer behind “Digging,” her website about “cool gardens in a hot climate”. In addition to her latest book, Pam authored “Lawn Gone!” and “The Water-Saving Garden.” Her writing has appeared in major magazines, like Better Homes & Gardens, Fine Gardening, American Gardener. She’s also the founder of Garden Spark, an Austin-based speaker series on design and ecology, where she brings fresh ideas and bold voices to the local gardening community.