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The Last Tree To Wake Up
There are four young trees in the back yard here. From tallest to shortest they are Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis), Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana), Mexican Olive (Cordia boissieri), and Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora). Until this week, all but the Mexican Plum had put out new leaf growth, and the Texas Mountain Laurel has also… Continue reading
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Volunteer: Red Pricklypoppy
By this time of year (mid-March), most of the volunteer plants that have bloomed here so far this spring have been colored yellow or purple. So I was surprised one day to look up from my lunch on the patio and see a beautiful deep red flower that I had not noticed before. It’s a… Continue reading
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“Tandem” Flies
I am in my garden multiple times every day, often not to work, but simply to watch. There is always something going on! On this occasion I spotted a pair of mating flies, species unknown, in my Desert Willow tree. Continue reading
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16 Inches Of Growth In 8 Days
Last spring I bought one pot of Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora), which had four growing points. I split the clump into four portions and planted them in a rock pile (trying to make use of the many stones that are in the ground here!). The plants didn’t bloom last year, but given the insult of the… Continue reading
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Bluebonnet Seeds Are Already Starting To Form
Bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) are annuals and therefore need to reseed each year. Last year I scattered seed in the fall. However, given how many plants I have here now, I should not need to buy seed again if I let these seed themselves. The easiest way to do that is just to leave the plants… Continue reading
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Two Plants I Thought I Had Lost, And A Visitor
Mexican OliveI didn’t realize it at the time, but of the trees I have planted here, my Mexican Olive (Cordia boissieri) was at greatest risk during the winter freeze when temperatures got as low as 16F. The strongest factors in choosing plants here have been that they are preferably native and highly resistant to heat… Continue reading
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Genista Broom Moth Caterpillars Eat Bluebonnets, Too
I have twice had populations of Genista Moth (Uresiphita reversalis) caterpillars on my Texas Mountain Laurel tree (September 2023, November 2023) behind the house. On both of those occasions it was more important to me to protect my young and somewhat stressed tree and so I picked off caterpillars as I found them. I only… Continue reading
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My Texas Mountain Laurel Tree Continues To Surprise Me
My little Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora) was the first tree that I planted here last spring. For any plant, I expect the first year after installation to be primarily spent growing a healthy root system, and I don’t mind if it doesn’t bloom in its first season. However, this particular tree’s first year has been filled… Continue reading
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Volunteer: Texas Indian Paintbrush
I have seen Texas Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa) in large groups beside roadways in Central Texas, often alongside Bluebonnets. I hadn’t seen them up close before now, though. In my reading about this plant, I found two interesting facts. First is that the colored structures are actually bracts (a type of modified leaf, not a… Continue reading
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Convergent Lady Beetles
Convergent Lady Beetles (Hippodamia convergens) are common throughout North America and I see them often here. They are welcome garden visitors because they eat aphids. The photo above is of a pair in my Texas Mountain Laurel tree, presumably in the process of making new Convergent Lady Beetles. And here’s another one I saw a… 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 