soil
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Another Disruptive Rain Event
Apparently I have a history of causing flooding rain events to occur just after I have sown seeds. It happened six days after I seeded native grasses in the spring, and this week the day after seeding wildflowers in my front lawn (which was also two days after leveling the front lawn with extra soil Continue reading
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A Big Day In The Back Yard
I had been looking forward to this day for months! Seven cubic yards of enriched topsoil were delivered here earlier this week by Maldonado Nursery. In preparation, the inner part of the back yard has had Bermudagrass removed or killed with the intent to plant or seed a variety of native plants. (The outside edge Continue reading
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More Leveling Of The Front Lawn
A few weeks ago I experimented with leveling my very unevenly laid Bermudagrass front lawn. For that pilot project in one small area I used soil that I had purchased in bags, and to spread it, the back of a regular rake and then a special leveling rake. That project went well, and now I’ve Continue reading
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I Dig Ugly Holes Now
Anyone who knows me personally knows that I’m a bit of a perfectionist. So when I first arrived here, I found it satisfying to dig neat round holes for my new plants. Then I began to learn more about the soil here and how roots can behave (from my own observations and the teachings of Continue reading
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Turf Leveling Pilot Project
I struggle to find words adequately to describe how badly the Bermudagrass turf was laid here. It is very uneven, which means that ankles can turn when you walk on it, mowing is patchy, and anything on wheels is hard to push. I am keeping the Bermudagrass in front of and beside the house, and Continue reading
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Correcting My Huisache Error
In the spring I planted a Huisache tree, because this native plant is resilient and drought-tolerant. I later discovered that Huisache has some significant disadvantages and I regretted that choice. (Not all native plants are ideal for all situations.) So then I condemned the tree to be removed when I had something more polite with Continue reading
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Little Bluestem
Little Bluestem is a moderately tall (5 ft) prairie grass. I defined an area for it toward the back of the garden in the spring and sowed seed there. But nothing grew! That was around the time of The Great Deluge, which disrupted my other native grass seeding project, so who knows where those seeds Continue reading
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Ant Architecture
I’ve written before about how ants have caused me to change my attire for gardening, but they benefit the soil. In these early days of developing this lot, they really are my chief helpers in aerating, mixing, and feeding the soil. Many times I have found that a deeply rooted weed also coincides with significant Continue reading
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Things I Learned After Heavy Rain
Some basic things about this lot that I cannot change: These next photos are of the left and right boundaries to our lot. Things that I saw after we had a day of heavy rain following weeks of drought (i.e., the ground was dry and hard): Future things that I can consider doing: Continue reading
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Ants Are Not My Friends, But I Share My Garden With Them Anyway
Even though it is very hot outside at the moment, I do my gardening work in closed shoes, long socks, long trousers, a long-sleeved shirt, two pairs of gloves, a bandana, and a brimmed hat. Part of that is for sun protection, but it’s also because I got tired of being bitten by ants inside 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 