Blog
-
Convergent Lady Beetles
Convergent Lady Beetles (Hippodamia convergens) are common throughout North America and I see them often here. They are welcome garden visitors because they eat aphids. The photo above is of a pair in my Texas Mountain Laurel tree, presumably in the process of making new Convergent Lady Beetles. And here’s another one I saw a… Continue reading
-
New Spring Growth: Flame Acanthus
I have two baby Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii) here. They lost their leaves during the winter but are growing back nicely. I bought them too late last year to see blooms, so I’m hoping for that this year. Hummingbirds love this plant. Continue reading
-
Volunteer: Yellow Sweetclover
Burclovers are plentiful here, but I pull them out because they are very invasive and their seeds are annoyingly barbed. In contrast, this is a Yellow Sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis), which is also a volunteer non-native, but I am allowing this one to stay. I only have a few of them, they will help with nitrogen-fixing… Continue reading
-
New Spring Growth: Desert Willow
A Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) tree was planted here last spring and it seems to be the perfect tree for my particular situation because it thrives in poor soil and dry conditions. It moves gracefully in the wind, and the blooms last summer attracted not only insects but also hummingbirds, which was a bonus I… Continue reading
-
Volunteer: Texas Ragwort
There are few volunteer Texas Ragwort (Senecio ampullaceus) plants here (not to be confused with Ragweed, which can trigger allergic reactions for some). It’s fairly tall (about 2 feet). I didn’t notice until after I uploaded the second photograph in this post that there was something feeding or resting on a flower on the right… Continue reading
-
Common Sootywing
I’ve seen a few butterflies here this year so far, but there is not much for them to eat yet. They’re also tricky to photograph as they are flitting around — I usually end up discarding tens of photos just to get one that will do, and sometimes I fail altogether. Anyway, this Common Sootywing… Continue reading
-
New Spring Growth: Barbados Cherry
I planted my Barbados Cherry (Malpighia glabra) last fall. It lost all its leaves in the winter freeze, but is now growing back from the lowest part of the trunk. It is a dwarf variety, and it’s even more tiny now. In fact, I have to be careful that I don’t trip over it because… Continue reading
-
Dog Vomit Slime Mold!
Having owned a dog, I would say this Dog Vomit Slime Mold (Fuligo septica) is aptly named! It’s also known as Scrambled Egg Slime (yuck!). Dog Vomit Slime Mold often appears on bark mulch in urban settings and I’ve seen it before. We haven’t had much rain lately, but we have had some mornings with… Continue reading
-
Volunteer: Texas Toadflax
I have several volunteer Texas Toadflax (Nuttallanthus texanus) plants here, especially in the front yard area. From a carpet of leaves that lie close to the ground emerge tall delicate stems with purple flowers that have an interesting shape. Continue reading
-
Mating Salt Marsh Moths
I was just wandering around my garden a few days ago when I saw a bright white object. Thinking it was a piece of trash, I reached down to pick it up and discovered that it was actually a mating pair of Salt Marsh Moths (Estigmene acrea). I first saw them about 2pm and they… 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 