I don't know how many of you know of this nursery but it is well worth the
a visit. They have a great selection of plants which do well in the south
Texas area. Most are avialable in 4 inch pots as well as gallon and larger.
Depends on whether you have more time or money. Prices are very reasonable
and the people are very helpful.

This is the current newsletter from the owner.
Do We Have Tomatoes?

Do we have tomatoes? Funny the way the mind works. Or rather, funny how
differently different minds work. My mind is extremely intuitive and a
simple question like "Do we have tomatoes?" has already become symbolic and
must be reduced back to "Do we have tomatoes?" before I can reply with the
anticipated yes or no. Before reading any further, let me say that "Yes, we
have a nice selection of tomatoes and peppers in stock and ready to go as of
February 22nd." If your principle plant quest is tomatoes, you need not read
any further.

"Do we have tomatoes" is the single most telling question when Spring is
coming to the Texas Hill Country. It is the first big "Do You Have...."
question of the year as we get requests for tomatoes start in early January.
We have a lot of different plants at any given time. Since The Nursery was
started in the early 90s, we have had more different species of plants than
almost any other nursery you will ever visit. Unfortunately for those
persons who come with a well thought out shopping list, we don't pretend to
try to carry a well rounded selection of popular landscaping plants, an all
inclusive list of perennials that do well in our gardens, an complete
selection of Texas Natives, a full menu of the plants the media is pushing,
or a good selection of plants that in the past you've found exclusively at
The Nursery. You might be surprised that we don't work from a list at all!
Every year we collect and save seeds and manage to get in our best years
perhaps half of them planted. Every year we put aside what we call "Stock
Plants" with the idea of using them for cuttings. Every year we dig our way
out of the weeds and find many of our "Treasures" lost or dead and then find
just as many "Treasures" we thought we had lost. We purchase very few seeds,
cuttings, plugs, and "Stock Plants". Every year we work with what we have
and what comes our way.

This perhaps illogical, messy, and poorly organized way of doing things goes
a long way in defining the kind of Nursery we are. We wouldn't have it any
other way. In the end, we always have something special and an unexpected
"find" for even the most avid plant enthusiast. Equally, there is always
some disappointment for everyone including ourselves.

This year we've gotten a very late start in propagation. This year we lack
some of the basics we planned on having. This year we also have some of the
best plants we've ever had going into Spring. This year, as has been true in
every other year, we recommend that your "list" be incomplete and you start
your search for plants with those that have survived here at The Nursery.
You will not find a better selection of survivors anywhere else in Texas. A
perennial at Schumacher's is truly a perennial. We've had a particularly
difficult Winter with a few true freezes, a lack of staff due to sickness,
and extensive repairs and changes at our facility. No nursery is ever ready
for Spring and ours is no exception. Our first newsletter of the year is
finally going out as we have been working our magic and have been breathing
life back into everything we touch. This is turning out to be one of our
best years ever!

A few plants we are impressed by this year are Penstemon tenuis, Penstemon
triflorus, Puya species, Muhlenbergia dumosa, Agave celsii, Agave
proto-americana, Lapeirousia, Sisyrhinchium, Blackfoot Daisy, Nolina
nelsoni, various Hesperaloes, and many others we're surprised to have this
early in the year.

We will finally have some Ilex decidua by the weekend and possibly a few
fruit trees will be left. A selection of "standard meat and potatoes shrubs"
are on hand with more to come. Some left over Cross Vine, Mascagnia, and
Evergreen Wisteria, etc. are better for having survived Winter than what
will come in this Spring.



Propagation Classes and Opportunities

Respond to this newsletter with Propagation Classes as the title if you are
interested in Hands On Propagation Classes at The Nursery. No experience
needed. Single and Multi-Session classes are being offered. Group classes
are available but classes will be limited to TEN persons per class. We hope
to offer classes weekly and are planning advanced classes and opportunities
for person who have seed and cutting material of their own.


Chip Schumacher
Schumacher's Hill Country Gardens
588 FM Highway 1863
New Braunfels, TX 78132

Nursery 830-620-5149
Fax 830-608-0914
email: