spotted beebalm
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Wildflower Meadow Nearing The End Of Its Season

The current status of the wildflower meadow in front of the house is that much of the area is empty and the flowers that remain are mostly yellow and white. Primarily what is growing at the beginning of October are Beach Sunflowers (Helianthus debilis), Yellow Sneezeweed (Helenium amarum), Lindheimer’s Doveweed aka Woolly Croton (Croton lindheimeri), Continue reading
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Beebalm Doing Its Thing

Spotted Beebalm aka Spotted Horsemint (Monarda punctata) is one of three types of seeds that I used for the front wildflower meadow’s inaugural year. The Bluebonnets and Firewheels finished a long time ago, but I have a good number of the Beebalms blooming in that location now, and also volunteer sunflowers. I’ve seen a fair 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
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Beebalm Volunteers

I have two kinds of volunteer Beebalm (also known as Horsemint) plants here. They attract a lot of insect visitors, and I’ve even seen a hummingbird at one of the plants. Here are some of the Spotted Beebalm aka Spotted Horsemint (Monarda punctata), which are all in front of the house. And here are some Continue reading
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Adding Extra Beebalm To The Front Meadow

My front yard “wildflower meadow” was seeded last fall with Texas Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis), Indian Blanket aka Firewheel (Gaillardia pulchella), and Spotted Beebalm (Monarda punctata). The Bluebonnets and Indian Blankets have already grown and are blooming very nicely. I haven’t noticed any Spotted Beebalm yet, but it’s still a few weeks before the expected bloom time. I recently visited Continue reading
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Second Attempt At Lawn Wildflower Seeding
A few days ago I leveled the front yard with extra soil and then dispersed wildflower seeds in the bare spots. The next day there was heavy rain that disturbed and/or washed away some of the soil, and did who knows what to the seeds. I’ve decided not to repeat the soil leveling this year. Continue reading
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Wildflower Seeds In The Front Yard
I am taking advantage of the front yard having quite a bit of bare soil after the leveling project, to add some wildflower seeds to the front lawn area. This is a bit of an experiment, but if it works, in the springtime there will be an area in the center of the lawn that 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.

