pond
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New Pond Plants
On a recent visit to Pollinatives in Converse (my favorite semi-local native plant nursery), I had a lucky find of their last two native waterlilies of the season — I wasn’t expecting to see these in stock until later in the year. That purchase led to an unexpected and rather urgent pond session to get Continue reading
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Repopulating Pond Fish After A Major Flood
On July 5, 2025, the day after devastating floods in Kerr County, Seguin had its own flash flood event. I recorded 8.64 inches of rain in just four hours, which was a lot more water than my land could hold. In addition to standing water that was present for a few hours, for the first Continue reading
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Pond Volunteer
In the pond are two pots of Aquatic Milkweed (Asclepias perennis). At some point volunteers arrived in each of the pots — I don’t see them in older photos of the milkweeds, so I don’t think they were original passengers. One is blooming and one is not, but they look like the same thing. Both Continue reading
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Interesting Toad Activities
In early spring there was a period of a few weeks when there was a toad chorus around the pond from dusk for two hours or so. Eventually that activity stopped, but then the noise started up again in early May and this time I’ve been able to observe more. Once the chorus starts in Continue reading
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More Fish In The Pond
Very soon after the pond was finished in November 2024, I added six Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), chosen because of their diet: zooplankton, small insects and insect larvae, and detritus material. However, after that first day of release I never saw them again, dead or alive. Perhaps they died of starvation, cold, or being eaten Continue reading
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Pond Blooms
There are three aquatic plants in the pond that are now blooming or budding for the first time. I thought that I had purchased two American White Waterlily (Nymphaea odorata) plants in November 2024, which would have blooms that are white or pink. However, the waterlily that is blooming now has a yellow flower, so Continue reading
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A Toad Chorus
Lately, for a couple of hours after it gets dark, there have been loud sounds in the back garden. At first, I thought it might be the American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) that was recently introduced here. However, it was not the low bellow that I understand the call of a male bullfrog to be. Here’s Continue reading
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A Bug Just Chilling
Finally (mid-December) we are beginning to get cooler temperatures in Central Texas, but on one unusually warm and sunny afternoon I spotted this bug resting on a rock in the pond. It wasn’t doing anything, just sitting. I couldn’t get close enough for a proper identification, but the shape of the back legs put it Continue reading
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A “Plague” Of Grackles
Since the pond was installed in the beginning of November 2024, gradually I have been seeing more bird visitors coming to drink or bathe, although generally only one or two at a time. Then suddenly at dusk on Thanksgiving Day (November 28, 2024), there was a thundering on the roof that sounded like heavy rain Continue reading
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Aquatic Plants
I’ve never had a pond before, so learning how to manage that environment will be a whole new thing for me. My goal is to build an ecosystem that relies as much as possible on biology and the interaction of different organisms to maintain a healthy equilibrium. One part of that ecosystem will be plants, 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 