Blog
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A Breakfast View Of The Back Garden
I like to eat breakfasts outside — there’s always something interesting to notice in the garden. In the wintertime I’m probably in the front porch where I can get some morning sun, but as the year progresses I’m more likely to be behind the house. On this recent morning, the light was good under cloudy… Continue reading
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A Toad Chorus
Lately, for a couple of hours after it gets dark, there have been loud sounds in the back garden. At first, I thought it might be the American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) that was recently introduced here. However, it was not the low bellow that I understand the call of a male bullfrog to be. Here’s… Continue reading
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Trees With New Leaves
This post describes two more trees that have put out new leaves for spring. (I am still waiting for Mexican Olive and Barbados Cherry to wake up.) Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana). This was the first year for this young tree to bloom but the second year for it to grow leaves in spring. As the… Continue reading
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White Variant Of Bluebonnet
Bluebonnets in the wild are typically blue. However, genetic variations can occasionally occur that cause the flowers to be pale blue, white, or pink. I have so many bluebonnets here this year that it is perhaps not surprising to see one such variant in my collection — this one has white flowers. In general, color… Continue reading
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Firewheels In The Meadow
The stars in the wildflower meadow in front of the house are undoubtedly the Texas Bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) at the moment, but coming soon is a display of Firewheel aka Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella). I see several buds and a few flowers. This was the first Firewheel bloom that I saw, on March 19. It… Continue reading
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Shade For The Red Buckeye
I planted a small Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia) tree in spring 2024. This is an understory tree that prefers part shade, but in our subdivision where there are no mature trees, shade is a rare commodity. I planted it near the back fence, hoping that it would get a little protection from there in the… Continue reading
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What Happened To The Spider Egg Sacs?
Readers from last year may remember that a large Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia) built an impressive web above the garage door in the fall season of 2024. In mid-September she created an egg sac and hung it in a corner of her web. I relocated the egg sac to a nearby oak tree. Two weeks… Continue reading
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Yellow Yucca Bloom Spike
In 2023 I planted some Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora). One of the clumps that I planted produced a bloom spike the following year, which was sooner than I expected. I thought it would take longer to establish. Watching that bloom spike grow last year was impressive — it grew 55 inches in just 27 days… Continue reading
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More Mulch On The Pathways
Apart from the walkway of Thunder Turf around the perimeter of the back yard, my pathways are made from free city mulch, originally placed on a layer of cardboard. Over time they compact down and so periodically they get an inch or two of fresh mulch on the top. I had intended the pathway “refreshing”… Continue reading
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More Plants Waking Up For Spring
More new growth in the garden! Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora). This is one of the plants that started to make new growth in February only to have those tender shoots freeze back a couple of weeks later. This time it’s taking off for real, although it looks like there might not be any blooms… 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 