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Rain Barrel Repairs, And A Pivot
I have two 50-gallon rain barrels here, collecting rain water off the roof behind the house. It’s a small, simple system, but nevertheless this allows me to avoid using faucet water most of the time. For instance, now in September, I think I have used a hosepipe only three times this year (ironically, the third Continue reading
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Texas Mountain Laurel Progress
Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora) was the very first tree that I planted here in spring 2023. It’s already a slow-growing tree, but my long-time readers may recall that this one additionally had a difficult first year with half the tree showing signs of possible iron deficiency or root damage. Eventually it seemed to recover Continue reading
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Late Summer Mowing Of The Thunder Turf
Thunder Turf is a mix of three native grasses (Buffalograss, Blue Grama Curly Mesquite) that each grow only a few inches tall. They are all very drought-tolerant and need minimal care. The first thing I did when I arrived here in February 2023 was embark on the laborious process of removing all the Bermudagrass sod Continue reading
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Beebalm Doing Its Thing
Spotted Beebalm aka Spotted Horsemint (Monarda punctata) is one of three types of seeds that I used for the front wildflower meadow’s inaugural year. The Bluebonnets and Firewheels finished a long time ago, but I have a good number of the Beebalms blooming in that location now, and also volunteer sunflowers. I’ve seen a fair Continue reading
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Stung While Helping A Tree
I am very fond of my Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) tree that was planted in spring 2023. It thrives in our awful soil and has grown several feet in width and height since it went in the ground here. Desert Willows are often irregularly shaped, which I think gives them more character. So the fact Continue reading
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Frogfruit Master Plant Has Gone, But Its Children Live On
Last year I planted one Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) near the patio, and have used pieces of that master plant to fill other areas in the front and back gardens. Here are some examples: There’s a Frogfruit strip along the back of the house. It’s a bit straggly in this photo because I recently yanked out Continue reading
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Baby Mexican Buckeye Trees
A couple of weeks ago I was gifted five Mexican Buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa) seeds. They quickly germinated (wrapped in damp paper) and went into pots on August 29, 2024. By one week later, on September 5, there were tiny shoots in four of the five pots, and they were quite a bit taller three days Continue reading
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Water Conservation
One of my goals here is to keep supplemental water use to a minimum. Before last winter I stashed my hoses away. In April I used one hose sprinkler head for a few days to water a newly seeded grass area. A few days ago, now in September, I was drafting this post thinking that Continue reading
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Walking Around A Spider Web
There is a Western Spotted Orbweaver (Neoscona oaxacensis) that has built an impressive web spanning from the Red Yucca flower spike to the fence that is eight feet away. I knocked the web loose one time by accident, but it was quickly rebuilt. So now I have learned to walk around it, although I suspect Continue reading
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A Tale Of Two Mexican Mint Marigold Plants
In Houston, I had a pot of Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes lucida), which I brought to Seguin when I moved here in February 2023. It’s a plant that is native to Mexico and Central America, and which has adapted well to Texas. The leaves have a fragrance similar to tarragon and anise, and other names for 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 