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Catching Up On The Blog So Far
If you’re catching up on reading about my urban “rewilding” project that started in February 2023, here are some key posts: And here’s a cloud image of the 100 most popular (as defined by WordPress!) key words and phrases in the posts I have written. Selecting any of these tags will pull up related posts,… Continue reading
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Red, White, And Blue For The USA 250th Anniversary
These photos were all taken on July 3, 2026. Continue reading
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Sunflowers Growing THROUGH a Fungus
Polypores, also called bracket or shelf fungi, form sturdy horizontal structures called conks on trees (living and dead) or coarse woody debris. The underside of each conk is a layer of vertical tubes that open downwards, and the upper layer supports and attaches the tube layer to its substrate (wood). There are several groups of… Continue reading
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Gulf Fritillary Life Cycle
This is my second year to have a passionflower vine, which is specifically included in the garden to encourage and support Gulf Fritillary butterflies. The vine has grown vigorously this year, which has provided plenty of leaves to feed many hungry Gulf Fritillary caterpillars — this is one of their host plants. Adult females lay… Continue reading
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Swallowtail Caterpillar On Common Rue
I recently saw a Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) caterpillar on a Common Rue (Ruta graveolens), which is one of its host plants. Most of my plants are native to Texas. However, Common Rue is native to the Mediterranean area. I welcome it here as a non-native because it serves well as a host plant for… Continue reading
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Experimenting With Maximilian Sunflowers
Two years ago I planted one Maximilan Sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani). Last year there was a small cluster that grew tall and gangly. The photo above was taken in October 2025. This year the clump is larger and compact. It’s nowhere near its full height yet — in June 2026 the tallest plants in this cluster… Continue reading
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Zizotes Milkweed Gets A Free Pass
I am attempting to develop an area at the back of the garden that has a variety of native milkweeds. I have planted and seeded several things, but only a few seem to have established so far. The two that I recognize growing this year so far are Zizotes (Asclepias oenotheroides) and Antelope Horns (Asclepias… Continue reading
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Diagram Of Garden Layout
Something I’ve been meaning to do for ages is to create a plan of the garden layout. Finally I have made a couple of crude images. The diagram above is a representation of the front yard. The pollinator garden immediately in front of the house is primarily filled with nectar-bearing shrubs and other perennial plants.… Continue reading
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Passionflower Is Teeming With Activity
I have a Scarletfruit Passionflower (Passiflora lanuginosa), which is a South American variety. Despite it being not technically native to Central Texas, it is welcome in my garden because of its function as a host plant to Gulf Fritillary (Dione vanillae) butterflies, among others. This is my plant’s second year here. After freezing back to the… Continue reading
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The Tiniest Toad
Many of the things I find in the garden are noticed when I’m not searching for them at all. I happened to be looking closely at grass beside our house when I spotted something moving. It was the tiniest toad I have ever seen — less than half an inch in length and dwarfed by… Continue reading
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Three Trees That Are Growing Like Crazy
An adage often heard about native perennial plants is that in their first three years they will “sleep, creep, and leap.” In other words, the first year is spent building a strong root system without much happening above ground. The second year perhaps sees a little visible progress, and in year three the plant is… Continue reading
About Me
Nature Lover.
Inquisitive Observer.
Student Gardener.
I invite you to join me on my journey to convert my sterile (from a nature point of view) new house lot to a healthy and diverse ecosystem, as I make discoveries, mistakes, and hopefully progress. I am not an expert or professional. The project started in February 2023 and the location is Seguin, Texas, USA.
Rewilding My Lot 