volunteer plant
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A Sea Of Sunflowers
There are primarily two kinds of sunflower here, both volunteers: Beach Sunflower (Helianthus debilis) and Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus). I have mostly allowed them to grow in the furthest part of the back garden, which was seeded with tall plants. Of the three types of seed that I dispersed in that area, only one grew Continue reading
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A Lanceleaf Coreopsis Stowaway?
I have a volunteer plant in the bed behind the house that appears to be a Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata). I did put this plant elsewhere in the garden, and they are known to self-seed, but the one that I planted has only just begun to flower so that can’t be the origin. I think 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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New Plants For The Front Pollinator Garden
If you want to skip the preamble, I have a list of plants further down this post. Last year I planted several native plants in the flower bed in front of the house to make a small pollinator garden (replacing builder-installed plants that were not wildlife-friendly). I was pleased with the growth of the plants Continue reading
barometer bush, beebalm, bluebonnet, cenizo, chile pequin, fall aster, flame acanthus, gregg salvia, gregg’s mistflower, gulf muhly, horseherb, lantana, lyreleaf sage, mealy blue sage, native plants, pink evening primrose, pollinator garden, prairie verbena, scarlet sage, silver ponyfoot, skeleton-leaf goldeneye, smallflower desert-chicory, straggler daisy, texas sage, texas toadflax, tickseed, volunteer plant, yarrow, zinnia -
Three Visitors On One Flower
As I wander around, or sit in, my little developing nature garden, I get to watch abundant life. I can’t always identify or photograph what I see, so the things I share here represent just a small portion of my enjoyment. On this occasion, I happened to spot three separate visitors on one Smallflower Desert-Chicory Continue reading
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Identifying A Few More Volunteer Plants
I am slowly gathering a list of plants that have volunteered here, usually using iNaturalist as a guide to get the identifications. Here are some more of my favorites (loved by bees and butterflies, too). Plains Fleabane (Erigeron modestus)This has volunteered in both front and back gardens. Apparently if I cut the plant back, there Continue reading
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A Non-Specific Spring Update
I have several projects in process at the moment and I’ll post about them when I have something to report. So today I thought I’d just include some photos of what I see when I’m outside enjoying breakfast/lunch/tea/whatever. These photos were taken on the morning of March 22, 2024. The first round of spring blooms Continue reading
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Wildlife Visitors
I am not building a garden to have a collection of pretty plants, although that will hopefully be a pleasant side-effect. The real goal is to create a small pocket of nature that will be healthy for the land and welcoming to wildlife. Here’s an example of what is happening, which encourages me. As I Continue reading
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Volunteer: Red Pricklypoppy
By this time of year (mid-March), most of the volunteer plants that have bloomed here so far this spring have been colored yellow or purple. So I was surprised one day to look up from my lunch on the patio and see a beautiful deep red flower that I had not noticed before. It’s a Continue reading
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Volunteer: Texas Indian Paintbrush
I have seen Texas Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa) in large groups beside roadways in Central Texas, often alongside Bluebonnets. I hadn’t seen them up close before now, though. In my reading about this plant, I found two interesting facts. First is that the colored structures are actually bracts (a type of modified leaf, not a 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 