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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 -
Giant Swallowtail Caterpillars Have A “Back Off!” Signal
During one of my regular wanderings of the garden I spotted a Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) caterpillar on a Common Rue (Ruta graveolens), which is one of its host plants. Given the size of this caterpillar (nearing pupation, I think), it must have been there a while and I just hadn’t noticed it before. As… Continue reading
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“Bird Poop Caterpillar” Is Growing Nicely
A couple of weeks ago I planted two new Common Rue (Ruta graveolens) plants here, and one of them came pre-populated with a Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) caterpillar [post]. This caterpillar also carries the nickname of “bird poop caterpillar,” which seems apt. The disguise is really very good, and I even had to look closely to… Continue reading
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Not Native, But Helpful Nevertheless
My preference is to plant things here that are native to the area. By doing so, those plants should be accustomed to our soil and climate and should not need amendments or supplemental water once established. Sometimes I have made exceptions to choosing true natives, however. For instance, climate change is causing some plant ranges… 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 