Rewilding My Lot

I was recently away from home for nine days, right after a week when we had over six inches of rain. I expected to see changes when I got back of course, but I didn’t know exactly what I’d find. Here are some highlights.

Some plants had grown a lot.

Sunflowers were about a foot taller than they were when I left. These are a mixture of Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and Beach Sunflower (Helianthus debilis).

Prairie Verbena (Verbena bipinnatifida) has spread very well beside the pond and is such a vibrant color. In November last year, this plant was in a 4-inch pot.

Nearby is one of the newest Blackfoot Daisies (Melampodium leucanthum) that just a month ago was a scrawny seedling.

Texas Mountain Laurel (Dermatophyllum secundiflorum) has already had one growth spurt this spring, but it’s growing again now.

Silver Ponyfoot (Dichondra argentea) has only been in place a few months on the mound behind the pond, but it’s beginning to cover more ground and scramble over rocks nicely.

Scarletfruit Passionflower (Passiflora lanuginosa) doubled in height in the few days I was away. This has only been in the ground a few months and it’s already reached several inches above the green tape in this photo.

Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) is a fast grower. I mowed and trimmed it just before I left and this is what I came back to.

Some plants had new buds or blooms.

Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii) is in its second year here and this shrub near the rain gauge is the biggest of the three that I have. It’s the first to bloom this year.

Cenizo aka Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) is “supposed” to bloom after a rain, but mine doesn’t always do that. After six inches of rain, it did!

Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) grows in the giant pot that holds the rain gauge. These are already more blooms than I had last year.

One of the Butterflyweeds (Asclepias tuberosa) — a native milkweed plant — is blooming for the first time this year.

Lindheimer’s Senna (Senna lindheimeriana) was only planted last fall, but it survived the winter just fine and now is having a growth spurt. I think I see flower buds.

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is one of the bunch prairie grasses that I have growing together in a back area. This is already producing some flower heads (photo below), as are the Gulf Muhly and Sideoats Grama, not pictured.