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A Lacewing Breakfast Companion
I try to eat as many meals as possible outdoors. I can choose my location, front or back, depending on the time of day and whether I want sun or shade. On this crisp December morning I was joined on the porch bench by a Green Lacewing (Genus Chrysoperla, exact species unknown). Here’s a closer… Continue reading
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Catching Up On The Blog So Far
If you’re catching up on reading about my urban “rewilding” project that started in February 2023, here are some key posts: And here’s a cloud image of the 100 most popular (as defined by WordPress!) key words and phrases in the posts I have written. Selecting any of these tags will pull up related posts,… Continue reading
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My Propagation Station
I don’t have a greenhouse, nor am I experienced in plant propagation. However, occasionally I encounter new opportunities to try. The easiest situations are when plants self-seed, or grow runners that root. I have had success with moving baby plants of Salvia and Frogfruit to new locations, either by just digging them up in one… Continue reading
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Streaktails Are Predators Of Aphids
This tiny visitor to my Skeleton-Leaf Goldeneye (Viguiera stenoloba) this week might look at first glance to be a bee because of its coloring, but it’s actually an Oblique Streaktail (Allograpta obliqua), which is a common species of hoverfly. These are beneficial visitors to the garden, not only because the adults act as pollinators, but… Continue reading
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Is It Soil Or Is It Dirt?
Soil and dirt in the context of a garden might seem to be words that are interchangeable, but they really aren’t, and certainly here I believe there is a clear distinction between the two. The garden I left in Houston had benefitted from decades of biological activity, such as plants growing and decaying, leaves dropped… Continue reading
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“State Of The Garden” After 10 Months
Previous posts for reference: We moved to Seguin, TX in February 2023 to a newly built house on a developer lot that was effectively sterile from a nature point of view. My goal is eventually to convert this little piece of land into a balanced ecosystem that minimizes water use, encourages wildlife visitors, and is… Continue reading
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New Bluebonnets Emerging
I have sown quite a few Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) seeds here in different parts of the garden and judging by the number of rosettes that have already formed, I am hoping for a good show next spring. There are also Bluebonnets appearing where I did not seed them, so that’s intriguing. The natural lifecycle of… Continue reading
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Plant List, November 2023
We moved to Seguin, TX in February 2023, and that’s when I started the process of transforming our bare builder’s lot into a nature garden with priority given to native or adapted plants. This is a multi-year project, but I am pleased with what has been achieved so far. For reference, here is a list… Continue reading
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Time For The Live Oaks To Stand On Their Own
We have two Live Oak trees in front of our house planted by the builder. I pondered for a long time whether to keep or replace them (if they grow to maturity, they — or their roots — will be too big for that space), but for now they are staying. I (or the future… Continue reading
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Plant Hardiness Zones Have Changed
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is helpful to determine how perennial plants will tolerate living in your particular area. The map is based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature. A good nursery will label their plants or seeds according to which zones will suit them. Note that this map is a indicator… 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 