Tee, thank you for this wonderful article full of perspective. I enjoyed reading it. If people just take a moment to look around & observe as well as do a little checking they can find all those fabulous hardy plants.

Thanks for this article. We've had more than our share of drought in recent years. Plants that would normally be drought-tolerant may or may not tolerate the most extreme stages of extended drought and water rationing. This winter has been a welcome respite from drought conditions and it actually looks like we should actually have a good spring wildflower season.

Thank you, Ann and Linda.

Ann, you are so right. I like the challenge of growing a few things that aren't found around here, but more and more I'm sticking to what I see growing and thriving when I take a drive around town.

Linda, I am so glad your drought has eased a bit. I hate it when that happens over the summer and I can only imagine what it's like ongoing ... we don't need any more deserts in Texas! What is you normal average rainfall?

Hard to remember exactly, but I know it averages 30-something inches. I know there were a couple of years we have been in the teens for annual rainfall. That must be in the desert-like range. The Chihuahua Desert area starts in west Texas and goes west from there.