progress
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An April Tour Of The Garden
By April, I think most plants in the garden have woken up after their winter break and several of them are blooming. It’s a colorful time. I decided to take a few photos and make a couple of “walk through” videos one morning (April 17, 2026). Here’s a quick tour of the plants in front… Continue reading
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Is This The First Mexican Plum?
The Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana) tree was planted in 2023. The following year there were leaves but no blooms. Last year there were leaves and blooms, but no fruit. This year, in addition to leaves and blooms, I think there may be one fruit developing! In its time here, the tree hasn’t grown any taller… Continue reading
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Texas Mountain Laurel In Its “Leap” Year
An adage often heard about native perennial plants is that in their first three years they will “sleep, creep, and leap.” In other words, the first year is spent building a strong root system without much happening visibly above ground. The second year sees more foliage growth, and in year three the plant is finally… Continue reading
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A Review At The End Of Year Three
My garden “rewilding” project is now almost three years old, and this time of year (January 2026) is a good time to reflect on progress achieved and lessons learned. Planting is finished until spring and projects now largely involve tidying, trimming, or fixing things here and there, and waiting for the garden to wake up… Continue reading
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Shrub Growth Report, January 2026
It is now an annual tradition that I take note of how my trees and shrubs are doing. This post addresses shrubs, and when I have multiple copies I refer to the one growing most vigorously. Trees are described in a previous post. The measurements were recorded on January 30, 2026. Some of these measurements… 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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Plant List, December 2025
I moved to Seguin, Texas 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. We are in Plant Hardiness Zone 9a and our soil (below the builder rubble) is sandy, being part of the Post Oak… Continue reading
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My Story, Told By Native Plant Society Of Texas
Months ago, a little after two years into my “rewilding” project, I responded to a call from the Native Plant Society of Texas for descriptions of gardens that would survive in heat and drought. They didn’t use my piece then, but they did publish the article in the 2025 fall issue of their magazine, which… Continue reading
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My First Four Trees Are Now Taller Than I Am
In front of the house there are two Live Oak trees that the builder planted. Behind the house there are four trees that I planted early in my time here (2-3 years ago), with the intent that they would become major features in the garden: Desert Willow, Texas Mountain Laurel, Mexican Olive, and Mexican Plum.… Continue reading
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A Two-Week July Vacation
Vacations are fun, and what is also fun is seeing what the garden did during my time away (without it being watered!). I was recently gone for two weeks in July 2025 and this is what caught my eye when I got back. Sunflowers had grown A LOT. I will need to cut some of… 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 