indian blanket
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Increasing Diversity In The Wildflower Meadow
The wildflower meadow in the front of the house has completed two seasons of growth. Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) and Firewheel aka Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) have done very well, with some spectacular displays in the spring. A few other wildflowers have grown too, but even though this is a small and limited area, I would Continue reading
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Confused Wildflowers
When annual plants have finished here, I shred them and lay the resulting material down as mulch. Often there are seeds in what gets put down, and sometimes those seeds grow. One of those places is the strip next to the house on the north side. Here, the Bermudagrass doesn’t grow well in the shade Continue reading
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Bonus Wildflowers Beside The House
One of the areas in the garden that I am newly developing this year is the narrow strip of land that is on the north side of the house. Because of shade, the builder-installed Bermudagrass is not doing well. However, Bermudagrass is not helpful for the environment and I have no intention of encouraging it Continue reading
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The Next Chapter In The Wildflower Meadow
In March and April there was a surprisingly impressive display of Texas Bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) in the wildflower meadow in front of the house (see first photo in this post). It was surprising because elsewhere in Central Texas where we would normally see bluebonnets in fields and beside roadsides, the displays have been poor this Continue reading
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New Blooms In The Back Garden
The past 2-3 weeks have seen an explosion of growth, color, and activity in the back garden. Here are some highlights. Firewheel aka Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella). For some reason the Firewheels behind the house are much more vigorous and colorful than the ones in front of the house. They are the red and yellow Continue reading
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A Breakfast View Of The Front Garden
A few cold nights sent me to the east-facing front porch for breakfast where it’s sunnier in the mornings. So while I was there I took a few photos. I was supervised by our resident Barn Swallows. The female got the cozy nest, the male got to sit outside. They seem fairly accustomed to us Continue reading
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Firewheels In The Meadow
The stars in the wildflower meadow in front of the house are undoubtedly the Texas Bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) at the moment, but coming soon is a display of Firewheel aka Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella). I see several buds and a few flowers. This was the first Firewheel bloom that I saw, on March 19. It Continue reading
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Big Clean Up In The Back Yard
This year I filled almost all unused space in the back yard with annual wildflowers, some seeded by me and some volunteers. This “green mulch” approach is intended to capture water, improve soil health, and support wildlife visitors. Since these plants are not permanent fixtures, I am free to remove any of them to make Continue reading
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Clearing A Back Corner
In this second year of my “rewilding” project, I am using annual native flowers (seeded or volunteer) to cover most of the back yard. This “green mulch” approach allows me to capture water before it runs off, prevent soil erosion, improve soil health, and host wildlife visitors while I continue to make more long-term plans Continue reading
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Funereal Duskywing
This is a Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis) butterfly feeding on a Firewheel aka Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) flower. I’ve never noticed the caterpillars here, but their host plants include a couple of weed plants that are common in this area (vetch, burclover) so it’s not surprising that I’d see the adults. 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 