Join / Renew / Gift Donate Shop Member Portal Language
Search
npsot_bluebonnet_full_color

Native Plant Society of Texas

Boerne Chapter

Second Saturday Volunteer Opportunity

Join us on Saturday, February 8 for our Second Saturday workday at the Cibolo Nature Center Demonstration Gardens!

Generally every second Saturday of the month from 9:00 to 12:00 is our monthly workday in the demonstration gardens. Typical activities include planting, weeding, nurturing, mulching, caging, etc. 

Bring your favorite garden tools, gloves, sun and insect protection, and water to drink. 

Learn planting techniques from an experienced native gardener, Veronica Hawk.  Learn to identify native plants, the environmental niches they normally occupy, their use by wildlife, and their placement in landscapes to provide a pleasing vista. Help maintain our two demonstration gardens so we can continue to educate and promote native plants to our Hill Country friends! 

Also, note that this “Second Saturday Workday” is approved as a Master Naturalist Volunteer Activity.

Join the fun loving group that helps the CNC and NPSOT demonstrate the use of native plants in gardens!

For more information contact Veronica at veronica.hawk@gmail.com.

Veronica Hawk pointing out baby trees that can be transplanted during Second Saturday Workday at the NPSOT Boerne Demonstration Garden.
Don Rawls and Rita King pulling up KR Bluestem grass during Second Saturday Workday at the Boerne NPSOT Demonstration Garden.

About the Region

Fall Symposium 2025 Logo - Teach for the Future

Salado, the location of our Fall 2025 Symposium, lies at the intersection of two ecoregions: the Edwards Plateau (Limestone Cut Plain) and Blackland Prairie (Northern Blackland Prairie).

The Edwards Plateau area is also called the Hill Country; however, this general term covers a much larger area extending farther north. Spring-fed creeks are found throughout the region; deep limestone canyons, rivers, and lakes (reservoirs) are common. Ashe juniper is perhaps the most common woody species found throughout the region. Additional woody species include various species of oak, with live oak (Quercus fusiformis) being the most common. Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) border waterways. This area is well known for its spring wildflower displays, though they may be viewed in spring, late summer, and fall, as well. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, average annual rainfall in the Edwards Plateau ranges from 15 to 34 inches.

The Blackland Prairie extends from the Red River south to San Antonio, bordered on the west by the Edwards Plateau and the Cross Timbers, and on the east by the Post Oak Savannah. Annual rainfall averages 30 to 40 inches, with higher averages to the east. This region is dominated by prairie species. The most common grass species include little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) in the uplands and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in the riparian areas and drainages. Common herbaceous flowering plants include salvias, penstemons, and silphiums. This area has suffered greatly from overgrazing and agricultural use. Few intact areas remain, though many of the plants can be found along county roadsides throughout the region.

Our four host chapters (New Braunfels, Lindheimer, Guadalupe, and the Hill Country chapters) are located in one or both of the ecoregions above. However, the eastern portion of Guadalupe County also falls within the Post Oak Savanna ecoregion. Annual rainfall averages 35 to 45 inches, with higher averages to the east. A wide variety of hardwood trees are found, including several species of oaks, elms, and in the Bastrop area, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Grasses and forbs dominate in the open savannas, with most common grass being little bluestem. Ranching, agriculture, and fire suppression have allowed woody species to encroach on the once-open savannas.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason