desert willow
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A May View Of The Garden
I did a walk-through of the garden on the morning of May 16, 2026. Here are some things that caught my eye. In the areas where there are massed annual wildflowers, such as the meadow in front of the house, the predominant bloom at the moment is Firewheel aka Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella). Most of… Continue reading
american beautyberry, beebalm, bluebonnet, cenizo, desert willow, firewheel, frogfruit, horsemint, indian blanket, indian paintbrush, kidneywood, lindheimer’s senna, live oak, maximilian sunflower, mealy blue sage, mexican buckeye, mexican plum, prickly pear cactus, rock rose, rue, skeleton-leaf goldeneye, texas sage, turk’s cap, woolly stemodia, zizotes milkweed -
Propping Up The Desert Willow Again
I am very fond of my Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) tree. It has grown the fastest, tolerates — even thrives on — our poor quality soil and limited water, has a long blooming season, and is beloved by hummingbirds and other pollinators. It has a flexible structure that moves gracefully when the wind blows. However, that last… Continue reading
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More Perennials With Spring Growth
Now in mid-March, several more perennial plants are waking up for the new year. Here are some highlights: The Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana) tree hasn’t grown much in height in its three seasons here, but its branches are a little thicker and this is now its second year to bloom. This is an early blooming… Continue reading
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Defining A New Area Under The Desert Willow
The Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) is the second tree that I planted here, in spring 2023, and the one that has grown the fastest. It is currently at least 11 ft tall. As it has grown, I have increased the size of its mulch ring to more or less match the reach of the branches.… Continue reading
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More Spring Awakenings
Spring is my favorite season. I enjoy watching the garden wake up and our central Texas weather is usually comfortable at this time of year, so I spend a lot of time outdoors. Deciduous perennials, if they had not already lost their leaves before the January freeze, had all of their leaves die during that… Continue reading
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How Did The Garden Handle A (Wet) Freeze?
Since the garden here is primarily made up of native plants, I generally don’t need to worry about winter freezes — the plants have evolved to handle those situations. However, there are a few protective things that I do before, during, and after freezes to take extra care. Here’s a summary. Until January 2026, the… Continue reading
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Tree Growth Report, January 2026
Each January I take note of how my trees and shrubs are doing. Like children, when you see them every day, sometimes you don’t appreciate how much they’re growing. This post addresses trees. There will a separate one to describe the shrubs that I have (here). The measurements and photos were recorded on January 11,… Continue reading
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Climbing A Ladder To See A Caterpillar
While recently looking up to the top of my 10-foot-tall Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) tree, I noticed an odd shape that I thought at first might be a mutant seed pod. On closer inspection it turned out to be an enormous caterpillar (within the blue circle in the photo below). I tried to get good… Continue reading
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Pruning: Desert Willow
I am very fond of my Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) tree. It has grown the fastest, tolerates — even thrives on — our poor quality soil and limited water, has a long blooming season, and is beloved by hummingbirds and other pollinators. It has a flexible structure that moves gracefully when the wind blows. However,… Continue reading
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Trees And Their Schedules
I have a small collection of trees here (I’m limited by space!). There is one evergreen tree (Texas Mountain Laurel), which will retain its leaves through the winter. The two Live Oaks are semi-evergreen, meaning that old leaves drop when they are pushed out by the new ones growing in spring. The transition only takes… 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 