Blog
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Bonus Standing Cypress Blooming A Year Early
One of the types of seed that I sowed in the back part of the garden last fall was Standing Cypress (Ipomopsis rubra). This is a biennial plant and most often in the first year there is only a rosette of ferny leaves, followed the next year by a tall flower spike and seed production.… Continue reading
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Mexican Olive Blooming For The First Time
My Mexican Olive (Cordia boissieri) tree arrived here last fall and then took quite a beating in January 2024 when we had a major freeze. I recently wrote about how I thought I had lost this tree in the freeze and then how it has made a strong recovery, so I won’t repeat that here.… Continue reading
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Moving My Spare Stones
The land here (a new developer lot) contains a lot of stones, introduced by the builder as the lots were graded and levelled. As I have dug into the ground here, I have saved all but the smallest stones for a variety of projects here. They are markers, boundary edges, channel drain fillers, soil erosion… Continue reading
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Leavenworth’s Eryngo
I picked up a few Leavenworth’s Eryngo (Eryngium leavenworthii) seeds at a Native Plant Society of Texas meeting last year and scattered them without knowing how they’d do, or even what the plants would look like. I have now found at least two in the back yard, and one is already flowering. I had no idea what a stunning… Continue reading
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American Beautyberry Is Living Up To Its Name
American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) was one of the first plants that I introduced here, in spring 2023. What I didn’t know then was how harsh last summer’s drought/heat would be, nor that there would be a major freeze the following winter. So considering how much recovery this plant has had to do, it is doing… Continue reading
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Texas Mountain Laurel Seed Potting
Despite having my seed germination environment a little too damp, after nine days I had 24 Texas Mountain Laurel seeds that were sprouting roots and 4 where I couldn’t tell their status. The next step was to gently place them in soil so as not to damage the little roots, so here’s what I did.… Continue reading
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What Do You Call A Group Of Butterflies?
On my way back from the mailbox one day, I saw a group of three Queen (Danaus gilippus) butterflies, and one other of a different kind, all on the Gregg’s Mistflower (Conoclinium greggii) in my front pollinator garden. That got me to wondering what is the collective noun for butterflies. I found several lists that include… Continue reading
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Germinating Texas Mountain Laurel Seeds
Last year I attempted to germinate Texas Mountain Laurel seeds. I had no success, but supposedly this is not unusual. They are very hard seeds that in nature take years to germinate. My son (Dan Rossiter) did some of his own research and found a method that for him has a high rate of success,… Continue reading
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A Spectrum Of Colors In The Pollinator Garden
Ideally in the pollinator garden in front of the house, there will be blooms from early spring until late fall, and in a variety of colors. Different insects and birds prefer different colors. Sorted by flower color, this is what is currently in the garden (blooming in late July unless stated otherwise). This list doesn’t… Continue reading
beebalm, bluebonnet, cenizo, chile pequin, common sunflower, fall aster, flame acanthus, gregg salvia, gregg’s mistflower, gulf muhly, horseherb, lantana, lyreleaf sage, mealy blue sage, pink evening primrose, prairie verbena, scarlet sage, silver ponyfoot, skeleton-leaf goldeneye, sneezeweed, straggler daisy, texas sage, tickseed, yarrow -
Mockingbirds Are Fierce Nest-Defenders
In a new housing development with no mature trees, there is not much opportunity here for birds to build nests yet. However, I’ve spotted one that is about half-way up a neighbor’s 12-foot oak tree. I can see the nest from our back patio. Here’s a close-up of the photo above, where you can see… 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 