Almost all of my attention is directed towards creating a nature ecosystem in my back yard. But caring for the front yard is important, too. For now, I am keeping the overall framework more or less what the builder installed, and the changes I am making are along the lines of making it easier to manage and more drought tolerant.
Here’s what the front bed looked like when we arrived in February 2023:
And here are a couple of pictures of what it looks like in August 2023:
One of the earliest things I did was to enlarge the bed slightly, and make it a less awkward shape for mowing beside it.
The original mulch is dyed black, and I don’t want to use dyed mulches myself. However, I’ve made a choice to leave the original mulch there, and over time to add more natural mulch (native hardwood).
Most of the original landscaper plants will eventually be replaced, but I’ve only been taking them out as I have other things to plant in the space. There will be more of that happening in the fall.
New plants that I placed in the bed this spring include: Scarlet Sage (this is already self-seeding new plants), Texas Lantana, Texas Barometer Bush, Chile Pequin, Gregg’s Mistflower, Skeleton-Leaf Goldeneye, and a couple of souvenir plants from our former house.
The most spectacular specimen, of course, is the giant volunteer sunflower, which I did not plant but which was welcomed gladly.
Rewilding My Lot 
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