Tough Plants and Little Water

To be a plant in our yard, you had better be tougher than the High Plains Drifter. You had better like the hot Texas sun and be happy with limestone for a bed. And you had better not get thirsty too often. Put simply, you'd better be tough as a boot.

This is not because we do not have green thumbs. This is not because we do not love our flora. It is because we conserve water the best we can and only plant species that can handle drought conditions. With our ever-growing population here in North Texas, Martina and I prefer to be cautious and do our part because one day the spigot might very well run dry.

Texas Mountain Laurel, which grows out in the Chisos and Davis Mountains (as well as on our porch), is the kind of plant we like at our house. It can live in poor soil, needs little water, and can laugh its way through a drought. This Mountain Laurel, which we've had for three years, just bloomed for the first time.

Here is a Ryan Bingham song called "Bread and Water." Our plants would understand it.