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Two Insects I Haven’t Mentioned Before
Not surprisingly, I get a lot of insect visitors here. Every now and again I’ll intervene if they are attacking a vulnerable plant or something that I wish to eat myself, but if I can, I’ll let them do what they need to do. Insects are such an important part of the nature ecosystem. Here… Continue reading
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Clearing A Back Corner
In this second year of my “rewilding” project, I am using annual native flowers (seeded or volunteer) to cover most of the back yard. This “green mulch” approach allows me to capture water before it runs off, prevent soil erosion, improve soil health, and host wildlife visitors while I continue to make more long-term plans… Continue reading
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Funereal Duskywing
This is a Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis) butterfly feeding on a Firewheel aka Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) flower. I’ve never noticed the caterpillars here, but their host plants include a couple of weed plants that are common in this area (vetch, burclover) so it’s not surprising that I’d see the adults. Continue reading
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Beebalm Volunteers
I have two kinds of volunteer Beebalm (also known as Horsemint) plants here. They attract a lot of insect visitors, and I’ve even seen a hummingbird at one of the plants. Here are some of the Spotted Beebalm aka Spotted Horsemint (Monarda punctata), which are all in front of the house. And here are some… Continue reading
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Insect Poop Is Called Frass
One of the host plants for Bordered Patch butterflies, which I have seen here, is sunflowers and I do have an abundance of those. I wrote last year about observing Bordered Patch caterpillars, and I am starting to see them again. These caterpillars seem to travel around a sunflower plant as a pack, which surprises… Continue reading
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American Beautyberry In Recovery
I bought an American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) in the spring of 2023 because of how stunning the purple berries are and I had fond memories of my Houston plant. The Seguin plant has been through a lot of trauma since then, with last summer’s drought and then the January freeze earlier this year. Here’s a… Continue reading
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Understanding Corn Plants
I had never grown corn before I started my Three Sisters Garden project this year, nor had I ever studied the structure and development of a corn plant. Once my plants started to grow, it soon became apparent that things were happening that I didn’t understand so of course there had to be research. I… Continue reading
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More Milkweeds, Although Unplanned!
There is a small triangular area at the back of the garden that I have designated for native milkweed plants. Earlier this year I planted seven tiny plants: 4 Antelope Horns Milkweed (Asclepias asperula) and 3 Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa). In addition, I had previously scattered some seed for Zizotes Milkweed (Asclepias oenotheroides) in the area,… Continue reading
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Wind Damage To The Desert Willow
Last week we had a few hours of extremely high winds (our local newspaper said 70mph), which was apparently enough to tear a split in a fork near the top of my Desert Willow tree. This tree does move more than others in the wind (one of the reasons I like it), and it must… Continue reading
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Fall Aster Seems Confused
In my front pollinator garden I have a Fall Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium), which is “supposed” to bloom September to November. However, this plant has a few flowers in mid-May, and additional buds suggest there will be more. Sometimes plants will do this if they perceive an unusual climate signal, although they usually sort themselves out.… 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 