standing cypress
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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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Standing Cypress: Two Expected Forms And A Few Extras
I introduced Standing Cypress (Ipomopsis rubra) by seed in 2023 and 2024 and have a solid population now that is propagating on its own. I sowed seed twice because this is a biennial plant with a two-year lifecycle, and I wanted to have blooms every year. So now, in fall 2025, there are primarily two Continue reading
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When A Photographer Visits The Garden
The only camera I have is the one in my phone. For the convenient little device that it is, the quality of the photographs that I can get is pretty good. However, when my friend Ken Harvey visited the garden with his proper camera, the images he was able to capture were so much better Continue reading
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New Blooms In The Back Garden
The past 2-3 weeks have seen an explosion of growth, color, and activity in the back garden. Here are some highlights. Firewheel aka Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella). For some reason the Firewheels behind the house are much more vigorous and colorful than the ones in front of the house. They are the red and yellow Continue reading
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More Plants Waking Up For Spring
More new growth in the garden! Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora). This is one of the plants that started to make new growth in February only to have those tender shoots freeze back a couple of weeks later. This time it’s taking off for real, although it looks like there might not be any blooms Continue reading
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Trimming Standing Cypress
There is a defined area towards the back of the garden that includes three trees (Desert Willow, Mexican Plum, Red Buckeye), one shrub (Rock Rose), and the rest of the area is filled with taller annual or biennial plants (some seeded, some volunteer). Last year the plants predominantly filling that area were Standing Cypress (Ipomopsis Continue reading
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Three Phases of Standing Cypress
When I was new to Seguin, whenever I met a native plant gardener or naturalist, I would ask what was their favorite plant or tree and several of those suggestions are now in my garden here. One of those early recommendations was Standing Cypress (Ipomopsis rubra). Not only is this a beautiful drought-tolerant plant that attracts Continue reading
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More Standing Cypress Than I Knew
Last fall I scattered seed for Standing Cypress (Ipomopsis rubra) in a back area of the garden. This is a biennial plant with generally a short ferny rosette in the first year and a tall flower spike the second year. All I was expecting in this first year were the short rosettes, and I had Continue reading
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Bonus Standing Cypress Blooming A Year Early
One of the types of seed that I sowed in the back part of the garden last fall was Standing Cypress (Ipomopsis rubra). This is a biennial plant and most often in the first year there is only a rosette of ferny leaves, followed the next year by a tall flower spike and seed production. Continue reading
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Big Clean Up In The Back Yard
This year I filled almost all unused space in the back yard with annual wildflowers, some seeded by me and some volunteers. This “green mulch” approach is intended to capture water, improve soil health, and support wildlife visitors. Since these plants are not permanent fixtures, I am free to remove any of them to make 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 