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Clover “Cover Crop”
In front of the pond I have planted some short perennials so that the view of the pond from the patio isn’t blocked. Earlier this year (before the pond), that area was packed with Firewheel aka Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella), which grew to over 3 feet tall. Therefore, the ground in that area likely has Continue reading
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Fish!
I have no intention of having an elaborate collection of fish in my pond — that’s not its purpose. However, having some fish present might help to reproduce at least some of the biology that naturally happens in streams. I have added six little Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) to the pond, chosen because of their Continue reading
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Thunder Turf Repairs
Around the edge of the back yard is a border of Thunder Turf, which is a mixture of three short native grasses. In the second year here, this area is now largely established, although a portion of it did get severely trampled during pond construction (see photo above). Mid November is usually too late to Continue reading
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Butterflies Clinging On In A Stiff Wind
I was visiting my front yard, as I often do, and happened to notice something odd in one of the oak trees. On closer inspection, it turned out to be two Queen butterflies clinging on in a strong wind — the weather report said 16mph with gusts of up to 30mph and standing there I Continue reading
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Some Bluebonnet History, And An Experiment
This post leans heavily on information from this page about bluebonnet history from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Texas actually has at least five state flowers and they are all bluebonnets. In 1901, the state flower was officially defined by the Texas Legislature as Lupinus subcarnosus (“generally known as buffalo clover or bluebonnet,” according to Continue reading
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New Plants In The Ground After The Pond Was Installed
Fall is the best time to be planting in Central Texas, because that gives the longest time for plants to get established before the hot summer. As soon as the pond was finished, I wanted to get new plants in the ground quickly. Here are the perennials that I chose (there will be annual seeds Continue reading
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“Bird Poop Caterpillar” Is Growing Nicely
A couple of weeks ago I planted two new Common Rue (Ruta graveolens) plants here, and one of them came pre-populated with a Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) caterpillar [post]. This caterpillar also carries the nickname of “bird poop caterpillar,” which seems apt. The disguise is really very good, and I even had to look closely to Continue reading
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Adjustments Around The New Pond
Once the new pond had been installed, I took a whole day to make various adjustments around it. There were several projects that had been waiting until I knew exactly where the pond would be. The installers had made a nice neat pile of soil and mulch around the pond. I then proceeded to move Continue reading
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Leveling Where I Walk Around The Meadow
The ground as the builder left it here is horribly uneven. Last year I had several yards of topsoil delivered and did one round of leveling front and back, but I knew it wasn’t going to be enough. One reason was that the volume of substance needed to truly level this lot would be cost-prohibitive. Continue reading
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Pond #4: Construction
Finally, I have a pond! The construction took two days (the hole had previously been dug). On the first day, a mound for the waterfall was built and the pump equipment was installed. A liner was laid and large “moss rocks” were placed. On the second day, smaller river rocks were added. Then the pond 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 