Rewilding My Lot

I have very few plants in pots, but there is one near the front door, a Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes lucida).

This is a plant that I brought from Houston last year, and a few months ago I split it into two portions — one remained in its original pot and the other was planted in the ground. Both have done well, despite being frozen back to the ground in January.

The potted version of Mexican Mint Marigold apparently now has a resident (can you see it in the photo above?). I discovered this as I have been pouring a small amount of water daily onto the plant. Every time I do that, this Differential Grasshopper (Melanoplus differentialis) leaps out of the pot. Judging by how the plant has been nibbled, I suspect that this plant is food as well as shelter.

The in-ground sibling of this plant, on the other side of the house, has not been eaten, so it looks happier.