My Struggling Garden…A Master Gardener’s Reflection

by Tara Roberts, CCMGA Master Gardener Class of 2021

You win some, you lose some. This applies to sports, job interviews, relationships, life in general, and even gardening. I have been an avid gardener for several decades, so I have had my fair share of gardening successes and failures. Any gardener who claims otherwise has their head buried in the dirt.

Life has been busy this year, and I am sure many of you can relate. Work and family obligations routinely take us away from our hobbies and passions. I had grand plans of finally finishing my cottage garden and then writing an article showcasing my “gardening journey.” It was to include beautiful brag photos showing how I converted my property from bare dirt and weeds into my vision of a cottage garden filled with Texas natives and adaptive plants.

Well, I am here to say it did not happen…at least not yet! My most recent truckload of mulch still sits in front of my house. My pasture area still has a large pile of river rock and another pile of decomposed granite with weeds growing amongst them both. Countless plants died before they even got planted. I was the victim of my own ambition and busyness, and I know I am not alone.

I am here to tell you that even trained Master Gardeners fail. Sometimes, plants die despite our best efforts to keep them alive. Perhaps you have seen the well-circulated gardener meme that says, “It’s not your fault. That plant really should have tried harder.”

And sometimes, plants die from sheer neglect. I know I am not the only gardener to go crazy at the local nursery, bringing home a car or truckload of beautiful plants only to see them wither away in their nursery pots. I have the plant graveyard to prove it!

I also intended to document how a gardener could cultivate a beautiful garden without an in-ground sprinkler system or excessive use of water. I installed drip irrigation in my backyard and raised vegetable garden areas several years ago, connected to my outdoor faucets. Drip has worked in both areas for the most part, but certainly needs to be tweaked. I never quite got around to installing drip irrigation in my front yard cottage garden. I have more than 500 feet of drip line in my potting shed just waiting to be installed. Several years ago I killed all the grass in my front yard and converted the space to landscaping and decomposed granite pathways only. The logistics of installing drip irrigation lines to an entire front yard cottage garden stopped me in my tracks. And then summer hit. I was certainly not interested in that project in the heat of the summer.

So, my landscaping was either manually watered or simply neglected month after month. I have surveyed my front and back landscaping and I see casualties of a dry summer and not enough time tending the plants. But I see more positives than negatives when I really look. I see plants that are thriving, perhaps more that are simply surviving and even more that will bounce back when conditions improve. This all comes down to plant selection and placement.

As Master Gardeners, we are trained in Earth-Kind® principles. One of the basic fundamentals is choosing the right plant for the right location. I planned my gardens using native and adaptive plants, and this will be the key to my ultimate success. Choosing plants proven to grow well in our soil and climate means they will survive with less attention and intervention needed versus plants from other regions. I intentionally selected plants and made my planting location decisions based on each plant’s characteristics and needs. I am not trying to grow tropical plants in our hot, dry Texas summers or our unpredictable Texas winters. I used plant guides readily available from Texas A&M AgriLife and numerous local nurseries.

Choosing the right plants for our growing region allows some grace when you are not able to spend as much time in your garden. This will ultimately save you money on water, soil amendments and replacement plants. Saving money means you can buy more plants for your next gardening adventure!

I took a walk around my property just a few weeks ago and noted plants that were still growing well or at least hanging on. I will include a list below for reference. Next year I hope to have more plants thriving versus simply surviving. Altering the existing drip system and installing drip in other areas is still on the “off-season” chore list. I know I will lose some plants due to my season of neglect, but I have no doubt I will see most of my plants reemerge in the Spring. That is the beauty of choosing the right plant for the right place! I might finally get to crank out that before and after garden showcase piece after all!

Plant list from my Northern Collin County gardens:

Perennials

Artemisia	Jerusalem Sage	Santolina
Catmint	Lady Banks Rose	Skullcap
Coreopsis	Lamb’s Ear	Stella de Oro daylily
Daisies (Four Nerve, Oxeye, Blackfoot)	Mexican Mint Marigold	Sundrops
Germander	Orange cestrum	Texas Gold lantana
Gregg’s Mist Flower	Rock Rose	Yucca (yellow, red and color guard)
Hardy hibiscus	Russian Sage	Zexmenia
Henry & Augusta Duelberg salvia	Salvia greggii (various colors)