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Tidying Up The Pollinator Garden
The front pollinator garden doesn’t need a lot of maintenance, but after a couple of weeks of my being away it was time for a little tidy-up. Specifically, the volunteer Spotted Beebalm aka Spotted Horsemint (Monarda punctata) had finished flowering and was lying on top of other plants that were actively growing. This is a… Continue reading
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Another Spider Breakfast
I was just walking beside the house yesterday and happened to notice a Spotted Orbweaver (Neoscona crucifera) spider hanging from a single thread from the eaves. No big deal. But suddenly there was frantic activity as a dragonfly appeared tangled in the thread. After some wrestling, which quickly subdued the dragonfly, the spider hoisted its… Continue reading
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Phaon Crescent
Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) is the host plant for Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon) butterflies. For several weeks I have been seeing many of these small butterflies, although I haven’t spotted any caterpillars yet. There are nibbles on Frogfruit leaves, however. Maybe caterpillars are doing that? This butterfly also visits other nearby plants, although in this case on the Texas… Continue reading
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Ten Days Absent, And Caterpillars Had A Feast
I was away from the garden for ten days and a quick scan when I returned suggested that most things looked pretty happy. However, one thing that I would have caught earlier had I been here was another batch of Genista Broom Moth (Uresiphita reversalis) caterpillars eating new leaves on my little Texas Mountain Laurel… Continue reading
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Little Bluestem Progress
Way back in the beginning of planning this garden, I set aside a small area for mid-height native grasses. The main focus was to be Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) introduced by seed and plant, but I also later acquired some seeds for Waco Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) and plants of Gulf Muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris). I am… Continue reading
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Frogfruit As Turf
The Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) that I have in the back garden grows several inches tall. The Frogfruit that is in the front garden, interspersed with the Bermudagrass there, grows flat because it is regularly trampled and mown. Almost as soon as I arrived here in February 2023, I started the process of inserting Frogfruit pieces… Continue reading
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Hummingbirds At Rest
I’ve remarked before that I get numerous hummingbird visitors now, but it would take more time and patience than I have to capture good photographs. Occasionally, instead of hovering to feed, they will sit on sunflower branches for a few moments. On this particular day, I saw what seemed to be a pair of Black-Chinned Hummingbirds… Continue reading
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How Is The Damaged Desert Willow Tree Doing?
The Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) was one of the first trees planted here, and eventually will be the tallest in the back yard. (It is the tallest tree, but not the tallest plant, yet.) In a recent storm that brought extremely strong winds, this tree split at a fork in the main trunk. I wrapped… Continue reading
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New Bluebonnets Popping Up
This was my first year to grow Bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) and it has been an interesting learning experience. Soon after seeds were sown in the fall of last year, small leaf rosettes formed and they stayed that size through the winter. In early spring, the plants began to grow, and I had blooms from late… Continue reading
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New Butterflies
Bordered Patch butterflies pupate quickly! On June 18, 2023 I noticed that a Bordered Patch chrysalis had formed on an American Beautyberry leaf (the pale object under a leaf in the photo below). On June 19, a second Bordered Patch chrysalis formed on an adjacent leaf. Both chrysalises were a creamy white color. On June… 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 