The unprecedented winter storm that hit Texas on Valentine s Day was not wholly unexpected. The forecast for unusually cold temperatures in Houston had many of us scrambling to wrap our pipes and stock up on comfort snacks. For Houston gardeners, however, it meant a last look at our budding fruit trees and tropical plants that had enjoyed several winters without a hard freeze.
I was one of those depressed gardeners. I spent several hours in my backyard sipping wine and staring at my humongous, blooming Angel s Trumpet (brugmansia) and my climbing rose with its just-opening pink blossoms. I harvested the Japanese mustard greens that I had planted in the fall and some of the lettuce. I dug up the root-bound peach tree that had grown through its plastic pot and into the ground, accidentally cutting off one of its main roots. Still hoping for its survival, I dragged it in a storage tub into the garage. My family was recruited into hauling the multitude of potted plants into the house, l