Blog
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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
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Dragonfly Behavior
I don’t write much about dragonflies even though they are a common feature here, because I find them almost impossible to photograph well. They move quickly, don’t like being approached, and their wings are almost transparent. It’s hard to get a proper focus. Dragonflies and damselflies are very similar and the main way I know… Continue reading
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Mid-Height Prairie Grasses
Around the perimeter of the back garden is a 6-foot border of short native grasses: Curly Mesquite, Blue Grama, and Buffalograss. This gives me a walkway around the edge, and maintenance access to the fence without disrupting the other plants. At the back of the garden there is a small area that I have designated… Continue reading
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Two Mexican Plants
It is my goal here to install plants that are native to this region. In doing so, the garden will be well adapted to our local environment, will only need minimal supplemental water, and will support local wildlife. As the climate changes, the range of some plants is adjusting over time as areas of central… Continue reading
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My First Four Trees Are Now Taller Than I Am
In front of the house there are two Live Oak trees that the builder planted. Behind the house there are four trees that I planted early in my time here (2-3 years ago), with the intent that they would become major features in the garden: Desert Willow, Texas Mountain Laurel, Mexican Olive, and Mexican Plum.… Continue reading
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When A Photographer Visits The Garden
The only camera I have is the one in my phone. For the convenient little device that it is, the quality of the photographs that I can get is pretty good. However, when my friend Ken Harvey visited the garden with his proper camera, the images he was able to capture were so much better… 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 