Blog
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Tree Growth Report, January 2026
Each January I take note of how my trees and shrubs are doing. Like children, when you see them every day, sometimes you don’t appreciate how much they’re growing. This post addresses trees. There will a separate one to describe the shrubs that I have. The measurements and photos were recorded on January 11, 2026, Continue reading
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Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars
Gulf Fritillary (Dione vanillae) butterflies and caterpillars are frequent visitors to my Scarletfruit Passionflower (Passiflora lanuginosa) vine. Our winter thus far has been exceptionally warm, and even in January I have blooms and visitors on this plant. Gulf Fritillary butterflies are predominantly orange with additional black and white markings. They flit around a lot so photographing Continue reading
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Pruning: Texas Mountain Laurel
The Texas Mountain Laurel (Dermatophyllum secundiflorum) was the very first tree that I planted here, in spring 2023. During its first year, half of the tree appeared sickly and pale. I never did find out exactly what the problem was — perhaps the most likely explanation was iron deficiency caused by some root issue on Continue reading
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Climbing A Ladder To See A Caterpillar
While recently looking up to the top of my 10-foot-tall Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) tree, I noticed an odd shape that I thought at first might be a mutant seed pod. On closer inspection it turned out to be an enormous caterpillar (within the blue circle in the photo below). I tried to get good Continue reading
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Pruning: Desert Willow
I am very fond of my Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) tree. It has grown the fastest, tolerates — even thrives on — our poor quality soil and limited water, has a long blooming season, and is beloved by hummingbirds and other pollinators. It has a flexible structure that moves gracefully when the wind blows. However, Continue reading
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The Green Lynx Spider Family Has Gone
I first noticed a Green Lynx Spider with her egg sac in the Texas Mountain Laurel tree on November 14, 2025, and then I saw baby spiderlings just a week later (November 21). As I have observed the family since then, the babies have grown and become more active, but did not stray from the Continue reading
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Pruning: Mexican Plum
My time in Seguin, starting in 2023, has been the first experience for me to learn about choosing, planting, and managing trees. Thanks to some knowledgeable Master Naturalist colleagues, I have been receiving some good education in that department! Until now, any pruning of trees here has been minimal, usually addressing some immediate problem (e.g., Continue reading
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Bright Orange Mushrooms
As I was walking through the garden recently, I spotted a cluster of bright orange mushrooms on the wood pile. A dusting of orange spores have colored the surrounding wood, which gives the patch an overall orange glow. They were definitely eye-catching, so of course I took photos and tried to identify them. I think Continue reading
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Gathering Milkweed Seeds
The native milkweed plant that has been most successful here is Zizotes Milkweed (Asclepias oenotheroides). I have volunteers popping up all over the place, including this one in the middle of a pathway (photo taken in November 2025). I’d like to try introducing Zizotes Milkweed to the pollinator garden at Park West in Seguin, so Continue reading
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Trees And Their Schedules
I have a small collection of trees here (I’m limited by space!). There is one evergreen tree (Texas Mountain Laurel), which will retain its leaves through the winter. The two Live Oaks are semi-evergreen, meaning that old leaves drop when they are pushed out by the new ones growing in spring. The transition only takes 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 