March 20, 2025
Central Texas gardeners, join me (tickets on sale now) on Thursday, April 10th at 7:30 pm for a Garden Spark talk by Lisa Negri, the visionary owner of SummerHome Garden in Denver. I visited SummerHome last fall and was bowled over by its waterwise, native-plant beauty and by the concept behind it: providing much-needed green space and pollinator habitat in Lisa’s urban neighborhood through a bold, garden-making move.
With the help of designer Kevin Philip Williams of Denver Botanic Gardens and buy-in from volunteer helpers, neighbors, and the city, Lisa turned what could have been a private oasis into a public pocket park. SummerHome shows the value of planting native plants and pollinator habitat, even on a small lot. It offers a place of serenity and beauty for anyone who visits.
Tickets for this talk are on sale now! I hope you’ll come out to learn, be inspired, and enjoy an evening of community with Garden Spark. This is an in-person event and seating is limited, so grab your spot today.
Saving Green Space: How an Empty Lot Became an Oasis for Wildlife and Neighbors
In her Denver neighborhood, Lisa Negri saw small bungalows replaced by towering new-builds, their modest yards vanishing beneath square footage. Determined to create a different story, she bought the property next door and transformed it into SummerHome, a public pocket park and nature refuge brimming with drought-tolerant plants that invite pollinators and wildlife into the city. Join Lisa as she shares SummerHome’s creation, from obstacles overcome to unexpected magical moments. Texas gardeners facing similar pressures — overdevelopment, a harsh climate, drought — will gain valuable insights on creating resilient landscapes in their own yards and designing community green spaces that bring beauty and biodiversity to the heart of our urban neighborhoods.
Speaker Bio
Lisa Negri is NOT a botanist, horticulturist, or landscape designer. She’s an engineer who built a successful environmental engineering company by cleaning up hazardous waste sites across the U.S. After selling her company due to serious illness, Lisa began volunteering at Denver Botanic Gardens and found a new love — plants and gardening. Her curiosity is immense, and while working at the gardens, she began imagining a public pocket park in her urban, high-density neighborhood. When the pandemic shut down the world in 2020, she teamed up with Kevin Williams, a horticulturist at Denver Botanic Gardens, and they designed, built, and installed SummerHome on the lot next door to Lisa’s home. Follow SummerHome on Instagram.
When/Where: April 10, 7:30 to 8:30 pm
Lisa will speak on Thursday, April 10th at 7:30 pm. The approximately 1-hour talk with Q&A will be held at Leaf Landscape Supply’s North Austin location on Pond Springs Road. Seating will be inside the main building.
Tickets
Purchase your ticket at this link. Ticket price is $35.50, plus a small fee that goes to the ticket-processing website. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
Refund Policy
Tickets are nonrefundable. Your purchase helps cover a fair speaking fee for our presenters and other expenses, and collectively we’re able to bring talented design and ecology thinkers to speak to us!
Thank You to Our Sponsor!
The 2025 spring season of Garden Spark is sponsored by Leaf Landscape Supply, which brings the visions of Central Texas gardeners to life through superior quality, an excellent selection, and individualized customer service. Check out their website and online store for pricing and availability.
Subscribe to Garden Spark
GARDEN SPARK is a speaker series on garden design and ecology held in-person in Austin. To be notified about future Garden Spark talks, join my email list. Simply send me an email with “Subscribe” in the subject line.
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Digging Deeper
Shop the Spring Native Plant Sale at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center each weekend from March 28 to April 27, 9 am to 1 pm (last entry at 12:30 pm). The first weekend (March 28-30) is open only to Wildflower Center members, but it’s easy to join. Plant sale admission is free. Bring your own wagon or cart to transport your treasures.
Come to the Austin Cactus and Succulent Society Show & Sale at Zilker Botanical Garden on March 29-30 from 10 am to 5 pm. Includes a plant show with specimen cacti and succulents, handcrafted pottery, daily silent auction and hourly plant raffles, and expert advice. Admission is included with paid admission to Zilker Garden.
Tour 5 unique Houston gardens on Saturday, April 26, from 10 am to 4 pm, during the Garden Conservancy’s Open Day Tour for Houston. Tickets must be purchased online in advance through the Garden Conservancy.
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. Read all about the Season 8 lineup here!
All material © 2025 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
