I have never been able to grow anything in the dirt so I’ve turned to gardening containers Texas style. Give me a pot or two and I can create a masterpiece. Okay, so that’s probably not completely true. I have grown many a flower and plants in the ground but they just don’t thrive the way they should. My green thumb has been best put to potting.
Gardening Life in Texas
Life in Texas for plants is harsh. We generally have 2 days of Fall, 1 and a half weeks of Winter, 3 days of Spring, then it’s Summer. We moved to Dallas in early Spring 1995. It is what normal folk consider Spring, it was April. We moved here for a variety of reasons which included getting away from flooding, fires, earthquakes and the violence of gangs. Within the first few weeks of our settling in, the are experienced one of its worst ever Spring storms. It blew the roof off our newly leased warehouse and caused some minor water damage. There was an earthquake just south of us, the first recorded in almost 100 years. Then there was the Oklahoma City bombing.
Different Types of Containers
We were determined and so far, we’ve made it 23 years. When we had a house, we kept a little garden area in the backyard, just for herbs and flowers. The plants did alright and I can’t take credit for the beautiful roses, they were wild! I think I just never got anything in the ground during the correct planting season (if there is such a thing in Texas).
What flourished however were the pots of plants I kept on the patio. Long skinny pots, huge round pots, clay pots and saucers of every size. There were hanging pots, pots on benches, and pots scattered on and off of the patio. The grass didn’t grow that well either so it was covered with pots. You could find everything from herbs to peppers and everything in between.
Tips for plants in containers
I’ve learned a lot of tricks, like keeping rocks on top of the soil in the pots to help keep in the moisture. Broken and unused pieces of china and crystal can be thrown on top to give a whimsical touch.
Recycled “Pots”
I’ve also learned to be creative with what might be considered a pot. When I used the long planters that hang over the railings of patios, I used my mom’s collection of teapots. The teapots and the planters held lots of pretty flowers. Once I converted an old gas barbecue into a big planter for strawberries. I kept the lid open and covered the racks above with yet more pots. That was one of my more fun projects.
Just remember, life is short, enjoy it. Do what you love.
