seed
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What A Mexican Olive Berry Looks Like Inside
From the first cluster of flowers that my Mexican Olive (Cordia boissieri) tree produced, one berry was produced. Soon after that photograph was taken I found the berry on the ground. I don’t know what a ripe Mexican Olive berry looks like — maybe they are green like this or maybe they change color. In Continue reading
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Desert Willow Seeds
This year, my Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) tree produced a single seed pod. While recently pruning this tree, the pod ended up being cut down and it split open so I salvaged a few of the seeds. I don’t need any more Desert Willow trees here myself, but I’ve been experimenting with germination so it Continue reading
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Mexican Buckeye Propagation
At a recent seed/plant exchange hosted by Seguin nursery Green Jay Gardens, I acquired a small packet of Mexican Buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa) seeds. This is a lovely small native tree, and although I wasn’t looking for more trees to plant here, this is one for which I’d find space. My son (Dan Rossiter) has recently Continue reading
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Red Yucca Seeds Are Stacked Like Pringles
Just a few days after discovering that the five seed pods on my Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) bloom spike were rattling (post), they opened up. I don’t need more Red Yucca plants here, nor do I have the space to propagate them, but I was curious to see how they looked so I harvested them. Continue reading
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Leavenworth’s Eryngo
I picked up a few Leavenworth’s Eryngo (Eryngium leavenworthii) seeds at a Native Plant Society of Texas meeting last year and scattered them without knowing how they’d do, or even what the plants would look like. I have now found at least two in the back yard, and one is already flowering. I had no idea what a stunning Continue reading
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Texas Mountain Laurel Seed Potting
Despite having my seed germination environment a little too damp, after nine days I had 24 Texas Mountain Laurel seeds that were sprouting roots and 4 where I couldn’t tell their status. The next step was to gently place them in soil so as not to damage the little roots, so here’s what I did. Continue reading
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Germinating Texas Mountain Laurel Seeds
Last year I attempted to germinate Texas Mountain Laurel seeds. I had no success, but supposedly this is not unusual. They are very hard seeds that in nature take years to germinate. My son (Dan Rossiter) did some of his own research and found a method that for him has a high rate of success, Continue reading
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Pleasant Seed Surprises
Nature often surprises me in the most delightful of ways. I have recently discovered three examples of plants growing from seeds that I spread last fall, and which I was no longer expecting this year because I hadn’t seen them until now. Spotted Beebalm in the front native flower meadow In the center of the Continue reading
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Tidying Up The Pollinator Garden
The front pollinator garden doesn’t need a lot of maintenance, but after a couple of weeks of my being away it was time for a little tidy-up. Specifically, the volunteer Spotted Beebalm aka Spotted Horsemint (Monarda punctata) had finished flowering and was lying on top of other plants that were actively growing. This is a Continue reading
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Tidying Up The Native Flower Meadow
The native plant meadow is my most visible project, right in the middle of the front lawn. Therefore, I want to keep it relatively tidy (inasmuch as a wild nature project can be), and one recent morning’s gardening session was devoted to cleanup in the meadow. By now, I am confident that a lot 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 