Rewilding My Lot

We haven’t had rain here since September 5th but this week we did at least start to get some cooler temperatures (75-85F highs instead of 95F). So instead of retreating indoors by 10am, I am enjoying more time in the garden morning and evening. I have many projects on my fall task list!

In central Texas, fall is the preferred time to be introducing new plants. That gives them several months in the ground to establish before the heat of the summers here.

I have been preparing a list of what plants I want to add to the garden for several weeks, and now I’m beginning to buy them. Some will have to wait to go in the ground until the pond is finished, but I can work on other areas in the meantime.

On this particular day, I planted Lindheimer’s Senna (Senna lindheimeriana), Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii), and Silver Ponyfoot (Dichondra argentea).

The Lindheimer’s Senna, purchased at a Native Plant Society of Texas event, went at the back of the garden behind the woodpile. It grows a few feet tall so that seemed a good place for it to shine.

The Turk’s Cap, purchased from Green Jay Gardens, went in the bed near the patio that gets shade from the house until midday. This replaces one that I planted very soon after getting here, but which didn’t survive being transplanted again after the first planting, a brutal summer’s drought, a hard winter freeze, and my inexperience. I might need to protect this new one from afternoon sun at first, but I think once established it will be fine.

I already have Silver Ponyfoot as a ground cover in my front pollinator garden, planted last year. This new plant, purchased at the H-E-B native plant sale, was added to the pot in which the rain gauge sits to give it some draping interest. The other plant in that pot is Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata).