Getting the Texas Garden Ready for Spring: Vegetables, Flowers and Container Growing

Tree decor face

We spent the better part of our Sunday raking leaves (yeah, we never got around to THAT in fall) and dug out all my empty pots for another season of gardening. The week before we purchased some vegetable and flower bedding plants we got from the local nursery.

 

 

Landscaping with flowers around tree

For vegetables we planted several varieties of bell peppers, hot peppers, jalapeño, tomatoes and green onions. Not counting the flower bedding plants, I planted some Cleome, and Brown Eyed Susans.

My annual Cannas, Elephant Ears, and banana plants are all growing vigorously!

The seeds remaining to plant are:

Zinnia
Sunflower
Morning Glory
Texas Bluebonnet
Wildflower mix

And more tomato and bell peppers. I'm hoping to start a watermelon patch at the farm this year as well. I can only plant in pots around the house as we have very little space due to the pool. I've read that some families are turning their front yards into vegetable gardens. Sometimes I toy with that idea, but if we did, I'd have to get rid of our basketball goal and stray balls. Not sure if spouse would be pleased with the idea. If prices keep rising, practicality might take precedence!

Today, I'm running to the store to buy a new hoe and a hammock. We are working feverishly to get the yard in shape. Planning to spend a lot of time at home due to the gas prices.

 

Gotta grow those hot peppers. As soon as I locate some Serrano peppers, I plan to plant those. Our favorite pastime is to eat sliced Serrano's over sardines and crackers!

getting garden started on pool deck

Most gardening done in pots. I did order some Malabar Spinach online and once they arrive, I'll more than likely plant them in the ground next to my trellis. Will keep you posted on those!

cleaning swimming pool

It's been a chore cleaning the pool. Thanks to Alan, he's been working daily on extracting leaves from the bottom. Sometimes I think it's a curse having so many trees in our yard, but on those HOT summer days, and I mean (((HOT))) it's NICE swimming in a crystal clean pool under the shade of a tree!

The picture of the pool is actually more aqua than the green that is shown. (But it did look THAT green last week.) Two weeks earlier, it looked like vegetable beef soup!

I've added several bottles of algaecide, shock, and some PH. Now that the PH is good, we should have NO PROBLEMS bringing the water back to crystal clear. I purchased some Clarifier the other day and this SHOULD do the trick. I'm hoping to be able to swim by this weekend.

 

Baby Donkey

Say hello to the newest member of the farm! One of our donkey's gave birth last week! This makes donkey number 9 and he's only 5 days old!

 

Donkeys at Pioneer Farms - Austin, Texas

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Update (2026): Looking Back at Another Texas Gardening Season

Looking back nearly twenty years later, these photos remind me that you don't need acres of land to grow a productive garden. Most of our backyard was already occupied by the swimming pool, so I learned to make the most of every sunny corner with containers filled with peppers, tomatoes, onions, flowers, and whatever else I could squeeze into a pot.

One thing I've learned over the years is that a garden doesn't have to be perfect—it just has to be planted. A few pots can provide fresh vegetables, beautiful flowers, and the satisfaction of harvesting food you've grown yourself. For anyone living in a neighborhood, apartment, or home with limited space, container gardening is an excellent way to begin.

That spring, rising gasoline prices encouraged us to spend more weekends at home. Instead of driving somewhere for entertainment, we worked in the yard, prepared the pool for summer, and enjoyed watching the garden come to life. Looking back, I realize some of our best family memories were made right in our own backyard.

I also enjoy mixing vegetables with flowers. Not only do flowers brighten the landscape, but many attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators that help produce healthier vegetable crops. A garden can be both practical and beautiful at the same time.

Perhaps the biggest lesson gardening has taught me is patience. Every season begins with tiny seeds and small transplants that don't look like much. Yet with sunshine, water, and a little care, they eventually become baskets of fresh vegetables and colorful blooms. That's one of the reasons I continue gardening today—it reminds me that good things are worth waiting for.

And judging by that five-day-old donkey at the farm, spring wasn't just bringing new life to our garden. It seemed the whole countryside was waking up after winter.

Growing Malabar Spinach: Why I chose this for My Texas Garden

Building My Texas Garden Tunnel: Cattle Panels, Raised Beds & Shade Cloth