-
Two Kinds Of Mistflower
Very early after I arrived in Seguin, I planted Gregg’s Mistflower (Conoclinium greggii) because I knew that it was a butterfly magnet. It is particularly beloved by Queen and Monarch butterflies, but many other pollinators visit it as well. This is a photo from a year ago, on a day when I happened to see Continue reading
-
Rain Lilies
On a whim this year I bought a small pack of Rain Lily aka Prairie Lily (Zephyranthes drummondii) seeds. These are flowers that appear briefly after rain, so they’re a nice pop-up surprise appearing en masse on roadsides. A couple of years ago I tried planting a few seeds that I took from a roadside Continue reading
-
Increasing Diversity In The Wildflower Meadow
The wildflower meadow in the front of the house has completed two seasons of growth. Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) and Firewheel aka Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) have done very well, with some spectacular displays in the spring. A few other wildflowers have grown too, but even though this is a small and limited area, I would Continue reading
-
Inland Sea Oats
Inland Sea Oats aka Inland Wood Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) grow well in a shady environment, and are useful in preventing soil erosion. In the shade bed on the north side of the house, where water run-off from the roof has cut a groove into the ground below, I thought that Inland Sea Oats would be Continue reading
-
Finally We Got Rain
After weeks of drought and high temperatures, we finally got 1.54 inches of rain over two days (October 24-25, 2025). And instead of temperatures high/low of 90s/70s F, we are now expecting a more normal 70s/50s to arrive in a day or two. (Although, as I write this on the afternoon of October 27, the Continue reading
-
Fall Mowing Of The Wildflower Meadow
October is a good time to put the wildflower meadow in front of the house to bed for the winter. It’s a seasonal project, so to keep the area tidy this is when it gets a good trim. The process for 2025 was largely the same as I did in October 2024. The plants still Continue reading
-
Fall Thunder Turf Mowing
Fall is a good time to mow the Thunder Turf area, which is the perimeter of short native grasses around the back garden. Thunder Turf is a blend of Buffalo Grass (Bouteloua dactyloides), Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis), and Curly Mesquite (Hilaria belangeri), and in my particular situation, Curly Mesquite is the one that has taken Continue reading
-
Dealing With Maximilian Sunflowers Next Year
This year my cluster of Maximilian Sunflowers (Helianthus maximiliani) plants grew from one plant that I transplanted last year. By the time this year’s plants began to bloom, they had already reached a height of 9-10 feet. Here’s a picture from that time. As the blooms developed further, the tall stems splayed out in a Continue reading
-
New Frostweeds Doing VERY Well!
Just over a month ago I planted two Frostweeds (Verbesina virginica) that were dug out of a friend’s garden. They both took the transplant well, and have grown a lot in just a short time. The smaller Frostweed was placed in the new shade garden on the north side of the house. It has grown Continue reading
-
Standing Cypress: Two Expected Forms And A Few Extras
I introduced Standing Cypress (Ipomopsis rubra) by seed in 2023 and 2024 and have a solid population now that is propagating on its own. I sowed seed twice because this is a biennial plant with a two-year lifecycle, and I wanted to have blooms every year. So now, in fall 2025, there are primarily two 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 