pruning
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Taking A Load Off
2025 was the third year here for my Texas Mountain Laurel (Dermatophyllum secundiflorum) tree, which had a major growth spurt during that time — increasing in height from 5 feet to 7.5 feet. Consequently, many of its branches are still rather green and pliable. This spring was also the first time that this tree bloomed,… Continue reading
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Spring Trim Of The Back Yard
Trimming away dead parts of plants in front of the house was a fairly small job. The meadow area had already been cleaned up last October, and tidying up the pollinator garden plants a week ago didn’t take very long. The back yard is a different story. Because it’s out of view, I let it… Continue reading
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Starting The Spring Trim
On the last day of February 2026, future temperature forecasts for the next 7-10 days are at least 63 degrees F for the lows and 72 degrees F for the highs. So I am going to proceed as if we will have no more freezes this winter and jump into spring preparation. As usual, I… Continue reading
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Pruning: Mexican Olive
The Mexican Olive (Cordia boissieri) was significantly affected by hard freezes in its first two winters here. Each time it recovered strongly, but last year it effectively had to grow a completely new tree from the ground up (only a few inches of trunk and parts of the lowest branch survived the freeze). Despite that… Continue reading
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Pruning: Live Oaks
When we moved into a newly built house in Seguin, there were two young Live Oak trees in the front yard. These were probably cheaply bought by the developer in bulk, sight unseen. Nevertheless, three years later, they seem to be reasonably happy and the main trunks are vertical. In their first year here, I… Continue reading
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Pruning: Texas Mountain Laurel
The Texas Mountain Laurel (Dermatophyllum secundiflorum) was the very first tree that I planted here, in spring 2023. During its first year, half of the tree appeared sickly and pale. I never did find out exactly what the problem was — perhaps the most likely explanation was iron deficiency caused by some root issue on… 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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Pruning: Mexican Plum
My time in Seguin, starting in 2023, has been the first experience for me to learn about choosing, planting, and managing trees. Thanks to some knowledgeable Master Naturalist colleagues, I have been receiving some good education in that department! Until now, any pruning of trees here has been minimal, usually addressing some immediate problem (e.g.,… Continue reading
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Dealing With Maximilian Sunflowers Next Year
This year my cluster of Maximilian Sunflowers (Helianthus maximiliani) plants grew from one plant that I transplanted last year. By the time this year’s plants began to bloom, they had already reached a height of 9-10 feet. Here’s a picture from that time. As the blooms developed further, the tall stems splayed out in a… Continue reading
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Winter Cut-Back Of The Pollinator Garden
There is a small flower bed in front of the house that mostly has perennial native plants, chosen to attract and feed pollinator insects and birds. The above photo was taken mid-January 2025, when most of the plants were not in their blooming season. As of January 15, 2025, we had already had two nights… 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 