Blog
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The Swale Doing Its Swale-ing
An important part of a healthy nature ecosystem, which is what I am trying to construct here, is some sort of reliable water source for wildlife. That could be as simple as shallow water containers elevated and on the ground for birds and other critters, or a more complex pond system. I don’t know which… Continue reading
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Fall Seed Germination
For economy and to cover ground quickly next spring, I dispersed a lot of native flower seeds in the fall. Most of them are in the back yard, but there are also some in the front. I have no idea which of those seeds will germinate most readily and successfully, so what the garden does… Continue reading
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Skippers On The Gregg’s Mistflower
Gregg’s Mistflower (Conoclinium greggii) grows equally well in Seguin and Houston, and I was already familiar with it when I planted it here. The flowering season is very long, and it is a major butterfly attractor. On this particular lunch-time visit to my pollinator garden, there were at least three butterflies that I could see… Continue reading
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If A Piece Of Wood Calls To You In The Forest, Should You Take It Home?
First, let me say that I had permission to do all of this! I regularly volunteer in Seguin’s Park West to help maintain their pollinator garden and forest areas. The forest at Park West has some lovely old oaks (some probably older than 100 years), and other native trees and plants. However, it is also… Continue reading
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A Hummingbird Lunch Companion
I was out on my porch enjoying lunch when I was joined by a hummingbird, who visited both of the Scarlet Sage (Salvia coccinea) plants in my front bed. Hummingbirds are particularly attracted to red blooms, although they will visit other colors of flower as well. Hummingbirds are not easy to photograph because of their… Continue reading
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A Lacewing Breakfast Companion
I try to eat as many meals as possible outdoors. I can choose my location, front or back, depending on the time of day and whether I want sun or shade. On this crisp December morning I was joined on the porch bench by a Green Lacewing (Genus Chrysoperla, exact species unknown). Here’s a closer… Continue reading
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Catching Up On The Blog So Far
If you’re catching up on reading about my urban “rewilding” project that started in February 2023, here are some key posts: And here’s a cloud image of the 100 most popular (as defined by WordPress!) key words and phrases in the posts I have written. Selecting any of these tags will pull up related posts,… Continue reading
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My Propagation Station
I don’t have a greenhouse, nor am I experienced in plant propagation. However, occasionally I encounter new opportunities to try. The easiest situations are when plants self-seed, or grow runners that root. I have had success with moving baby plants of Salvia and Frogfruit to new locations, either by just digging them up in one… Continue reading
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Streaktails Are Predators Of Aphids
This tiny visitor to my Skeleton-Leaf Goldeneye (Viguiera stenoloba) this week might look at first glance to be a bee because of its coloring, but it’s actually an Oblique Streaktail (Allograpta obliqua), which is a common species of hoverfly. These are beneficial visitors to the garden, not only because the adults act as pollinators, but… Continue reading
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Is It Soil Or Is It Dirt?
Soil and dirt in the context of a garden might seem to be words that are interchangeable, but they really aren’t, and certainly here I believe there is a clear distinction between the two. The garden I left in Houston had benefitted from decades of biological activity, such as plants growing and decaying, leaves dropped… 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 