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Mushrooms!
Decay of organic matter is an important part of my journey to improve soil health in this new development lot. So it’s not at all surprising to see fungi of different types here. They often pop up overnight, stay a few days, and then break down. I’ve written before about the aptly named Dog Vomit… Continue reading
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Native Grasses Get Mown Twice A Year
I don’t have complete coverage yet of my perimeter area of short native grasses (Thunder Turf), but there is a significant amount of grass there, nevertheless. These native grasses were chosen because of their deep roots, drought tolerance, support of wildlife, and minimal care. For instance, the mowing schedule is twice a YEAR! May is… Continue reading
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Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) is a plant that I tried to grow in Houston, but that one never flowered for me. Undeterred, that was my choice of plant to put in the giant pot that supports my rain gauge. It is now flowering, although it’s a little hard to notice among the other yellow blooms… Continue reading
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Hairstreak On A Beebalm
I see a lot of these dainty little grey butterflies here. This is a Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) nectaring on a Beebalm, Bee Mine Pink (Monarda didyma). For a long time, these butterflies confused me because I thought I was seeing pairs that were closely beside each other head to tail. However, the Hairstreaks all… Continue reading
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The Bluebonnet Season Is Longer Than I Expected
Bluebonnets were among the first flowers to bloom this year, in late February. Now, in May, they are no longer the showy display that they were, because so many other things are blooming now as well. Some plants have completely given themselves up to seed and have died, at which point I leave the roots… Continue reading
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The Tallest Plant In The Garden Is Not A Tree
There are several volunteer Common Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) here. I have removed many of them because I don’t have room for them all, but there are probably about 20 still here. They are growing rapidly now, and the tallest is currently about 8 feet tall, towering over my biggest trees, which are 6 feet tall.… Continue reading
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Organizing The Three Sisters
This year I am experimenting with a Three Sisters Garden, which is a cooperative planting of corn, beans, and squash in mounds of soil. I have reached the point where all three vegetable plants are growing and the beans are beginning to climb, so it was time to get them a bit better organized and… Continue reading
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Black Swallowtail Caterpillars
I often see Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) butterflies here, but they are difficult to photograph because they are constantly in motion, even when feeding. I have a few dill plants here, courtesy of a friend, and since they are a host plant for Black Swallowtails I wasn’t surprised to see what looked like egg-laying behavior… Continue reading
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Frogfruit: Trim & Plug
Last year I bought two Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) plants, and judging by how well they have established, I should never need to buy this again. This particular area behind the house came from just one plant, and that is after several previous major cutbacks. (The other plant that I bought is climbing over my wood… Continue reading
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“State Of The Garden” After 15 Months
Now that I have been here a little more than a year, I am just as excited about my nature project as I was when I started in February 2023. I was not in a hurry to create a master plan immediately. There were some basic principles that I wanted to follow, and some early… 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 