seed
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The Quest To Introduce Indian Paintbrush
When I first arrived in Seguin, I saw Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa) in large groups beside roadways, often alongside bluebonnets. After that first year there has been a marked reduction in roadside wildflowers, perhaps because of our extended drought, or changes in mowing practices that have prevented reseeding. I was very pleased in 2024 to have two… Continue reading
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Texas Mountain Laurel Seed Pods
Texas Mountain Laurel (Dermatophyllum secundiflorum) was the first tree that I planted here, in spring 2023. This year it was finally established enough to bloom. This first bloom cycle gives me a chance to observe that process. At the end of February the tree was covered with fragrant colorful flowers. Those blooms were popular with… Continue reading
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Gathering Milkweed Seeds
The native milkweed plant that has been most successful here is Zizotes Milkweed (Asclepias oenotheroides). I have volunteers popping up all over the place, including this one in the middle of a pathway (photo taken in November 2025). I’d like to try introducing Zizotes Milkweed to the pollinator garden at Park West in Seguin, so… Continue reading
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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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Inland Sea Oats
Inland Sea Oats aka Inland Wood Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) grow well in a shady environment, and are useful in preventing soil erosion. In the shade bed on the north side of the house, where water run-off from the roof has cut a groove into the ground below, I thought that Inland Sea Oats would be… Continue reading
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Bluebonnets Growing In Shredded Mulch
Not long ago, I put some shredded annual plants on ground that is in need of restoration — it’s north-facing, shaded, and eroded from roof runoff. I knew that the material I spread was likely to contain wildflower seeds (especially Bluebonnet and Firewheel aka Indian Blanket) but I don’t mind if they grow for now.… Continue reading
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Freaky Storm Event Yields Seed Gifts
We recently had a very heavy storm pass through, which brought 1.45 inches of much-needed rain. Accompanying the rain was hail and extremely strong winds. The hail and/or wind was enough to flatten some plants and tear a few small branches, but nothing serious. The winds were also fierce enough to blow open the large… Continue reading
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Clover “Cover Crop”
In front of the pond I have planted some short perennials so that the view of the pond from the patio isn’t blocked. Earlier this year (before the pond), that area was packed with Firewheel aka Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella), which grew to over 3 feet tall. Therefore, the ground in that area likely has… Continue reading
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Thunder Turf Repairs
Around the edge of the back yard is a border of Thunder Turf, which is a mixture of three short native grasses. In the second year here, this area is now largely established, although a portion of it did get severely trampled during pond construction (see photo above). Mid November is usually too late to… Continue reading
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Some Bluebonnet History, And An Experiment
This post leans heavily on information from this page about bluebonnet history from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Texas actually has at least five state flowers and they are all bluebonnets. In 1901, the state flower was officially defined by the Texas Legislature as Lupinus subcarnosus (“generally known as buffalo clover or bluebonnet,” according to… 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 