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A Few More Seeds In The Meadow
I was very pleased with the wildflower meadow’s first year. Any appearance of the plants I seeded would have been satisfactory, but the quantity that grew exceeded my expectations. The three plants that were seeded in quantity — Texas Bluebonnet, Firewheel aka Indian Blanket, Spotted Beebalm aka Spotted Horsemint — are likely to come back Continue reading
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Rain After A Drought Triggered Seed Germination
For two months in September and October we had no rain, and then two inches fell at the beginning of November. That one rainfall triggered a mass germination of seeds that were in the soil here. Some of those seeds may be weedy things that were already in the ground before I got here, but Continue reading
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Trying Again With Chile Pequin
Early in my time here, in spring 2023, I planted a Chile Pequin (Capsicum annuum). This is a small drought-resistant shrub with spicy berries that birds like. However, this plant didn’t survive and I think that was somewhat my fault. At that time I was too inexperienced to realize that a new plant here does Continue reading
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Clearing Excess Frogfruit From Near The Wood Pile
One of the first things I did here once the Bermudagrass had been removed in the back yard was to create a pile of logs and to let a Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) plant scramble over it. Then I pretty much left it alone to be occupied by whatever wildlife wished to use it. In the Continue reading
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Adding More Wildflowers To The Back Yard
In spring and summer of 2024, there was a significant display of native wildflower plants here that had volunteered or been introduced by seed that I sowed in the previous fall. For now, I will keep at least half of that area for the same purpose. I presume that by now there is a considerable Continue reading
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Adjusting Pathways And Reclaiming Land
Most of the mulch pathways that I first laid here last year are still in a good location and all I am doing to maintain them is periodically to add more woodchip. (The City of Seguin very helpfully allows residents to take as much as they want.) There is one strip, however, where I had Continue reading
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Boosting The Seed Bank In The Tall Grass Area
I have designated a small area at the back of the garden for mid-height prairie grasses. This is developing quite nicely, and I currently have there: Although the grasses that are growing are producing seed themselves, I decided for one more year to add a little extra seed for Little Bluestem and Sideoats Grama to Continue reading
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Finally, Rain
We had not had rain since September 5. Finally, on November 5 we were blessed with 2.08 inches overnight. One of my goals here is to minimize rain run-off, so I’m always interested in how rainfall behaves when we get it. The garden isn’t mature enough to capture water as well as I want yet Continue reading
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Not Native, But Helpful Nevertheless
My preference is to plant things here that are native to the area. By doing so, those plants should be accustomed to our soil and climate and should not need amendments or supplemental water once established. Sometimes I have made exceptions to choosing true natives, however. For instance, climate change is causing some plant ranges Continue reading
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Next Year’s Bluebonnets Are Beginning To Emerge
I have not added any new seeds to the wildflower meadow this year, but there are plenty on the ground from natural seeding that occurred earlier. Encouragingly, there are several new Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) rosettes that are already appearing. These will stay small through the winter and then grow bigger in the early spring. In 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 