Blog
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Indiangrass Is Now Blooming
The latest of the grasses in my mid-height prairie grass area to bloom is Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans). This grass has blue-green leaves and golden brown seed heads. The other grass companions in this area are Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Sideoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), Gulf Muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris), and Curly Mesquite (Hilaria belangeri). The Curly Mesquite Continue reading
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Bonus Wildflowers Beside The House
One of the areas in the garden that I am newly developing this year is the narrow strip of land that is on the north side of the house. Because of shade, the builder-installed Bermudagrass is not doing well. However, Bermudagrass is not helpful for the environment and I have no intention of encouraging it Continue reading
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Barbados Cherry Is A Late Bloomer
I planted a Barbados Cherry (Malpighia glabra) in 2023. I didn’t realize until I got it home that it was a dwarf variety, so it’s likely to grow in a shrubby form and only reach a height of 4 feet or so. It’s a pretty little thing, and one of the latest to wake up Continue reading
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Finally Down To The Dregs In The Rain Barrels
Behind the house there are two 55-gallon rain barrels that capture water from the roof. There are no gutters on this house, so I’ve located the barrels to collect water falling from two places on either side of the patio where there are corners. As a rough estimate, an inch of rainfall will fill one Continue reading
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Making A Shade Bed On The North Side Of The House
There is very little shade here. In this new development there are no mature trees and the gardens on my property face east (front) and west (back). However, there is one region next to the house on the north side that gets very little sun. In addition to the major shade provided by our house, Continue reading
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Making Shade With A Mini Dead Hedge
In the spring of this year I built a shade structure for a new tree out of bamboo poles and a pillowcase. That was prone to blowing down so I’m trying a new idea to protect one of my new Frostweed (Verbesina virginica) plants while it gets established. I’ve known about “dead hedges” for a Continue reading
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Mexican Olive And Some Of Its Occupants
My Mexican Olive (Cordia boissieri) tree has frozen back severely in its two winters here. This year I thought I had lost it completely, but it has made a remarkable recovery and produced over six feet of growth from the ground in only five months (I finally saw new shoots in April 2025). This tree Continue reading
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Lindheimer’s Senna Blooming For The First Time
I planted a small Lindheimer’s Senna (Senna lindheimeriana) in October 2024, so it’s been here less than a year. In that short time it has already grown a couple of feet taller and a few weeks ago I saw flower buds. I walk past this plant most days and until this week I’ve only seen Continue reading
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Frostweeds Joining The Garden Tribe
Frostweed (Verbesina virginica) is an interesting plant that caught my attention when I first moved to Seguin. It grows to a few feet tall and blooms in the fall, which is a key time for migrating pollinators (such as Monarch butterflies) who need food to fuel their journey. A distinctive feature of this plant is Continue reading
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Weightlifting In The Garden
A huge benefit to me is that the City of Seguin offers free woodchip mulch for its residents. I have made much use of that in building pathways and tree circles at no cost besides the effort of hauling it home. Early in my time here I bought four sturdy reusable bags for this transport. 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 