Catatiller Native & Sustainable Gardens

03/11/2026

Hey buddy! 👋🏻

Texas Spiny Lizards are always welcome in my garden. I just have to train them not to eat my butterflies and bees. 😬 🦋 🐝

Growing your garden using only organic materials allows your garden to thrive with all kinds of wildlife and pollinators.

A variety of native plants act like magnets, attracting all of the insects and pollinators…creating a lovely ecosystem that thrives in our harsh conditions (dry, hot, etc.)

03/11/2026

Love the peaceful and serene pairing of natural stone, lanterns, groundcovers and conifers in Japanese Landscape Design.
This design is simple, thoughtful and reflects harmony in nature.

Just missing a water feature. 💦

03/05/2026

Succulents are so cool.

Lots of colors.
Lots of shapes.
Each one looks like a blooming flower. 🌺

And they are not needy! They almost thrive on neglect. 😆

02/24/2026

My greenhouse anole. Always welcome in my landscape.

Living the good life! 😊 🦎

02/15/2026

As the garden grows, so do we.

When this garden was first planted, everything needed full sun and constant attention. Bright, blooming, and reaching in every direction.

Now, as the trees mature, the garden is changing. Their branches widen, the canopy deepens, and the shade they cast reshapes what thrives below. Some sun‑loving plants fade away, making room for species that grow best in dappled light or shade. What once needed full sun now flourishes in softness.

Honestly? Same here. We are much like a garden. As we grow, we learn to gently remove what no longer serves us well — old habits, old expectations, old “plants” that drain our energy.

Clearing that space isn’t loss… it’s intention.
Because just like in a healthy garden, making room invites goodness in. New growth. New roots. New habits that thrive in the light or shade we have now.

A maturing garden isn’t fading — it’s evolving.
More layered. More intentional. More alive.


I am excited to work with my client to “evolve and grow” with their landscape—making new outdoor rooms and new pathways, to intentionally reveal new plants that love their new homes. 😍

Happy Valentine’s Day! May your garden grow and improve with age, just like you!🥰

01/20/2026

Are you familiar with Sunshine Ligustrum?

I pass these flower beds at the TCU Tennis Courts all of the time and it is a perfect example of the behavior of this shrub….and only 10 feet apart, across the sidewalk.

Sunshine Ligustrum is an evergreen shrub that loves a full six hours of sun, therefore the name “Sunshine.” In full sun, the shrub is a bright and vibrant yellow as it is intended but it can fade some in winter.
(1st and 3rd photo)

When Sunshine Ligustrum gets too much shade, it turns green…more like a standard evergreen shrub.
(2nd and 4th photo)

This is not to be confused with a common privet, as Sunshine Ligustrum will not spread or reseed.

Just thought it was an interesting plant fact to share.

I like using this shrub in designs in front of a dark house (brick, wood, paint) for contrast and to brighten the area, but otherwise, I don’t use it often. If people are unfamiliar with the plant, they can think the yellow color tends to look chlorotic or sickly.

What do you think?

01/17/2026

Love creating cozy spaces and rooms in the landscape.

For this 1920’s Craftsman Home, I love adding specific details that compliment and bring out the historic style of the home:
- “Cottage style” white picket fence
- Ribbon or “Hollywood” driveway with a herringbone brick inlay to replace the grass
- Cedar arbors over the gate for climbing roses
- Flagstone and pea gravel walkways
- A few structural boxwood shrubs along with lots of native shrubs and perennials (Black-Eyed Susans, Purple Coneflower, Lamb’s Ear, etc.) to reflect the Craftsman “nature-first” aesthetic

My client’s goal is a very natural and “loose” style where we focus on natural materials, organic flow and functional beauty.

01/09/2026

This past Fall, I was honored to interview for an article in VoyageDallas, an online publication designed to highlight inspiring artists, creatives and entrepreneurs at the center of meaningful discussions that touch on both life and career/business. Their overall goal is to share encouraging stories to inspire people to pursue their passions and support those who are doing so themselves.

This comes at a great time, as I have been reflecting on my business as I start a new year. I am so grateful for the amazing clients, teachers and business partners along the way since I launched my business just over 7 years ago.

Being able to work in an industry that you are passionate about makes everyday such a gift. And the lovely people I meet along the way become my friends and community.

Thank each of you for being a part of my life and journey! My goal this year is to always continue learning so I can provide value to my clients while focusing on:
- Gratitude
- Joy
- Shining God’s Light

Read the article in the link in my bio.

https://voyagedallas.com/interview/life-values-legacy-our-chat-with-cari-tiller-of-fort-worth-highlight

12/29/2025

Greg Grant is speaking my love language!

Regenerative Horticulture. 🌱 ☀️ 💦
- the process of working with natural processes in the garden rather than against them.

Healthy Soil = Healthy Plants
- Healthy soil will grow healthy plants.
- Healthy plants require fewer inputs: less fertilizer, less water, less pesticides.

🌱 Focus on your foundation, the soil.
🌱Create a diverse landscape with native plants.

Check out his very informative post! He says it all so well.

Regenerative Horticulture (Greg Grant, 12-28-25)
As we close out another year in East Texas gardens, sometimes soggy and sometimes sun scorched, it’s worth looking ahead to a concept that’s gaining real traction across the country: regenerative horticulture. It’s a mouthful, but the idea is simple. Instead of gardening in ways that merely sustain the soil, regenerative gardening actively improves it. Think of it as leaving your little patch of Earth better than you found it.
That may sound lofty, but regenerative practices are surprisingly practical. At its heart, regenerative horticulture is about working with natural processes rather than against them. Healthy soil generally grows healthy plants, and healthy plants often require fewer inputs: less fertilizer, less water, and fewer pesticides. That’s good for the garden, good for the gardener, and good for the pocketbook.
One of the foundational principles is keeping the soil covered. Bare soil is an invitation for erosion, weeds, and nutrient loss. Winter is the perfect time to rethink how we protect our beds. A simple layer of leaves or pine straw, something most East Texans have in abundance right now, does wonders. Leaves and needles break down slowly, feeding soil microbes and improving structure. They also prevent erosion, keep the soil warmer, and protect overwintering pollinators. In beds and under trees they can be left alone (think forest understories) and in lawns they can be mowed, mulched, and left in place. If you’ve been bagging and hauling them to the curb, consider this your invitation to stop.
Another regenerative practice is minimizing soil disturbance. Many of us grew up believing that a garden wasn’t “ready” until it had been tilled into a fine powder. But tilling disrupts fungal networks, burns off organic matter, and leaves soil vulnerable to compaction and erosion. Instead, try the gentler approach: add compost on top and let earthworms and microbes do the mixing. Over time, you’ll notice richer soil and better moisture retention.
Plant diversity is another key. A landscape filled with nothing but exotic turfgrasses and foreign shrubs is essentially a biological desert. But mix in native
American shrubs, perennials, and vines, and suddenly you’ve created habitat. Local pollinators, songbirds, and beneficial insects that evolved here respond quickly.
Cover crops, long used by farmers, are also making their way into home vegetable gardens. A winter stand of rye or wildlife mix can protect soil, add organic matter, plus prevent weeds and erosion. I myself choose to use a mixture of turnip and mustard greens providing both cover and harvestable food as well. Come spring, you simply cut, mow, mulch, or plow it under to provide organic matter.
Regenerative horticulture isn’t a trend; it’s a return to older wisdom, backed by modern science. It asks us to slow down, observe, and trust natural systems. As we head into a new year, that feels like a fitting resolution, not just for our gardens, but for ourselves.
If you are already practicing organic gardening, ecological gardening, or Earth-Kind gardening, it’s basically the same thing with a new label. All are intelligent, responsible, and honorable resolutions for the new year.
Greg Grant, Ph.D., is the Smith County horticulturist and Master Gardener coordinator for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Tyler. He is the author of Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening, Texas Home Landscaping, Heirloom Gardening in the South, and The Rose Rustlers. You can read his “Greg’s Ramblings” blog at arborgate.com, read his “In Greg’s Garden” in each issue of Texas Gardener magazine (texasgardener.com), or follow him on Facebook at “Greg Grant Gardens” or “Pines, Pawpaws, and Pocket Prairies.” More science-based lawn and gardening information from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service can be found at aggieturf.tamu.edu and aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu.
Image caption: Native wildflowers attract pollinators and beneficial insects to the SFA Plantery vegetable gardens

12/13/2025

The Fall Vibes out my front window are supreme! 🍁 🍂 All of the textures and colors blend together into a beautiful canvas.

I am so blessed to have such a beautiful view of intense fall color.

Thanks Neighbors!