Last month my garden looked like a crispy critter zone. Everything was brown and droopy thanks to that brutal Texas sun. So I dragged myself to the nursery, all sweaty and determined, hunting for flowers that wouldn’t croak in this oven heat.
Stage 1: The Plant Recon Mission
First, I cornered old man Joe at the nursery – that dude knows his stuff. He took one look at my sunburned neck and laughed. “Lemme show ya the survivors,” he said, pointing at pots that looked like they hadn’t been watered in weeks. Key move: I took pics of every tag so I wouldn’t forget names.
- Grabbed three lantanas with orange and pink blooms
- Snatched up five spiky purple salvia plants
- Added two periwinkles crawling with bright flowers
- Threw in four portulacas (Joe called ’em “moss roses”)
Stage 2: The Sweaty Planting Struggle
Got home around high noon – bad idea. Dug holes while sweat dripped into my eyes. Mixed that dusty Texas dirt with compost like making a terrible cake batter. Pro tip: Water the holes BEFORE dropping plants in. My first salvia nearly choked on dry dirt.
Stage 3: The Survival Games
For two weeks, I played plant doctor. Watered every dawn before work – any later and the water just evaporated. Disaster: Forgot to shade new periwinkles one afternoon. Came home to wilted mush. Replaced ’em and rigged up a cardboard sun shield.
By week three, winners emerged:
- Lantanas exploded like fireworks, didn’t care about 100°F days
- Portulacas bloomed like crazy even when I missed a watering
- Salvias grew taller, blooming through the worst heat waves
What Actually Works
Final score after two months: 12 out of 14 plants thriving. Here’s what earns permanent spots in my yard:
- Lantanas: Indestructible. Bloom nonstop.
- Portulacas: Close at night but bounce back daily.
- Salvias: Bees love ’em. Tough as nails.
- Periwinkles: Must baby them first two weeks.
Still lost one portulaca to thirsty birds and that periwinkle mishap. But my front yard’s now colorful enough to embarrass the neighbor’s sad lawn.