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Robber Fly!
This fierce looking critter (with a body over an inch long) was resting on my new Mexican Olive tree. At first glance I thought it was a spider, but there are only six legs. After iNaturalist ID’ed it as a Robber Fly (genus Diogmites), I had to look again to see the wings which I… Continue reading
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I Dig Ugly Holes Now
Anyone who knows me personally knows that I’m a bit of a perfectionist. So when I first arrived here, I found it satisfying to dig neat round holes for my new plants. Then I began to learn more about the soil here and how roots can behave (from my own observations and the teachings of… Continue reading
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Barbados Cherry
Barbados Cherry (Malpighia glabra) is a small tree/shrub that produces tiny pink flowers and tart berries that birds like. It prefers part shade. I’ve planted one in the bed behind the house with other “shady” companions of Turk’s Cap, American Beautyberry, and Frogfruit. At the moment, this west-facing bed is shaded until just after noon,… Continue reading
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A Random Curious Thing
I recently bought myself a small UV flashlight to use on nature hikes in the dark. Scorpions are fairly common here, and they happen to fluoresce in UV light. My first sightings were at Crescent Bend Nature Park in Schertz. I haven’t found a scorpion on our property yet, although neighbors have seen them. But… Continue reading
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Moving The Turk’s Cap
It’s not really a good idea to be moving plants once they’re in the ground. However, I had planted a Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii) in a place where it wasn’t happy (too much sun) and in a location that is too close to the lowest point in the garden where water pools in… Continue reading
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Dragonfly Or Damselfly?
I took a photo of this colorful creature on Frogfruit and then asked iNaturalist to identify it. The app said Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile), a damselfly. Here’s a cropped version of the photo. It’s not very good resolution, I’m afraid — these tiny mobile insects are hard to capture! It’s perhaps a mystery why an… Continue reading
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Genista Broom Moth — A Choice Had To Be Made
Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora) trees are slow-growing and expensive. So I was dismayed to check one morning and see 30 or so caterpillars munching on the fresh new growth of my tiny tree. The second photo is a crop of the first. ID with the help of iNaturalist told me that these are caterpillars… Continue reading
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Turf Leveling Pilot Project
I struggle to find words adequately to describe how badly the Bermudagrass turf was laid here. It is very uneven, which means that ankles can turn when you walk on it, mowing is patchy, and anything on wheels is hard to push. I am keeping the Bermudagrass in front of and beside the house, and… Continue reading
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Trimming Salvia
I learned at a gardening seminar that Salvias could produce more blooms by cutting them back more often than once a year (what I am used to doing), and that you can cut up to 2/3 off. Supposedly, even though flowers are lost in the trimming, a greater number grow back. So let’s see what… Continue reading
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Uncovering The Back Bed
Behind the house next to the patio a few months ago the Bermudagrass sod was manually removed. I knew that I wouldn’t be ready to plant things in that bed until the fall so for the summer I covered much of the ground with cardboard. That is also the current location of the Frogfruit “mother… 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 