Texas Gardening: Hello- newbie question about soil, 1 by JohnCrichton75

JohnCrichton75 wrote:
Thanks for the replies and greetings. As chance would have it, there is a Starbucks close by and I pass by it quite often. The clay soil in this bed "cakes" at the surface but seems kinda moist underneath, but only after I bust it up a little with a garden hoe or something. I will try adding some of the amendments suggested here, mix well, and see if the soil will be easier to work with.

Here's another pic of my Firespike. I got it last weekend for $15 at Houston Garden Center during a 1/2 off sale. The spikes do not appear to be as plentiful as they could be, but then again the plant was on sale for a reason I guess. Anyone have any experience growing one of these? This particular plant was about 2 1/2 - 3' tall when I planted it. I think I read somewhere that they will bloom in September. Hopefully it will thrive and hummers will visit it often but I don't know where my expectations should be.