Blog
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The Bluebonnet Season Is Longer Than I Expected
Bluebonnets were among the first flowers to bloom this year, in late February. Now, in May, they are no longer the showy display that they were, because so many other things are blooming now as well. Some plants have completely given themselves up to seed and have died, at which point I leave the roots… Continue reading
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The Tallest Plant In The Garden Is Not A Tree
There are several volunteer Common Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) here. I have removed many of them because I don’t have room for them all, but there are probably about 20 still here. They are growing rapidly now, and the tallest is currently about 8 feet tall, towering over my biggest trees, which are 6 feet tall.… Continue reading
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Organizing The Three Sisters
This year I am experimenting with a Three Sisters Garden, which is a cooperative planting of corn, beans, and squash in mounds of soil. I have reached the point where all three vegetable plants are growing and the beans are beginning to climb, so it was time to get them a bit better organized and… Continue reading
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Black Swallowtail Caterpillars
I often see Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) butterflies here, but they are difficult to photograph because they are constantly in motion, even when feeding. I have a few dill plants here, courtesy of a friend, and since they are a host plant for Black Swallowtails I wasn’t surprised to see what looked like egg-laying behavior… Continue reading
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Frogfruit: Trim & Plug
Last year I bought two Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) plants, and judging by how well they have established, I should never need to buy this again. This particular area behind the house came from just one plant, and that is after several previous major cutbacks. (The other plant that I bought is climbing over my wood… Continue reading
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“State Of The Garden” After 15 Months
Now that I have been here a little more than a year, I am just as excited about my nature project as I was when I started in February 2023. I was not in a hurry to create a master plan immediately. There were some basic principles that I wanted to follow, and some early… Continue reading
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Scarab Beetle
This shiny dark green beetle on an old sunflower head caught my eye as I was passing. It’s a Dark Flower Scarab (Euphoria sepulcralis). They are not known to eat seeds, but perhaps it was after pollen or nectar. Such a beautiful creature! Continue reading
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Phaon Crescent And Frogfuit
Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) is a native ground cover that loves to grow here. The flowers are tiny, visited by small bees and butterflies. Frogfruit is also the host plant for Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon) butterflies, and I’m starting to see quite a few of them now. It’s hard to discern scale on these photos, but… Continue reading
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Baby Squash Plants
Just over a week ago, squash seeds were sown in my Three Sisters Garden, and now they’re growing. I only need two squash plants per mound but I planted four seeds for redundancy. I see 18 out of 20 growing, and once we get to the point where the beans are climbing the corn I’ll… Continue reading
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A Toad!
Our property is in the central part of a development, so to get to the development boundary, one would need to cross at least one street and one or more properties. Therefore I expected wildlife visitors here initially to be limited to things that fly, and insects/spiders that were already in the ground when we… 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 