West Texas gardens require tough plants — for heat and cold

West Texas is a challenging environment to grow landscapes and gardens. It’s important to start with the best possible plants that are well-matched to each particular planting site – full sun vs. shade, well-drained soil vs. heavy clay soil, and irrigation water quality/quantity should all be top considerations. We have long been focused on finding and promoting heat-tolerant plants that can handle West Texas summers, but this year we remembered how cold it can get as well. We need tough plants, and there are many great choices and options – it just takes a little extra effort to research and select the best plants to have success.

Many homeowners lost trees, shrubs and perennials in the winter storm and are wondering if they should replant the same thing or pick something more cold-hardy. There is no single right answer. Every landscape is different and there’s nothing wrong…