You can always tell which potted plants I neglected to run a drip irrigation hose to – those would be the dead ones.

I have learned the hard way that plants in pots dry out so much more quickly than those in the ground, and that once we start getting into those consecutive 100+ degrees days here in Texas, it is not unusual for my potted plants to need watering twice a day. I have no intention of doing this, of course. I'm not rearranging my life to accommodate the needs of overly-thirsty plants. Which is why, now, I never plant a single thing -- not in the ground, a pot, or otherwise -- without first having a plan in place as to how it’s going to get watered. (Hint: It isn’t going to be me, running around with a garden hose or watering can morning, noon, and night).

Antique watering cans are lovely, I agree, but only so long as we all acknowledge that their main purpose is to be photographed, not used. Don’t get me wrong, I have them everywhere around my yard, but they certainly aren't for watering. That would take forever. I mean, if people want to assume that I quaintly collect water from one location, put it in a tiny decorative vessel just so I can slosh it to a different location, then repeat this hundreds of times all around the yard, then let them. But that's preposterous, a fairytale version of gardening, and of course, in actuality, I have everything on drip.

I cannot emphasize enough the liberation and peace of mind that comes from having every single pot on my patio, and plant in my yard, hooked up to a little drip hose. Now, my mother and I differ on this, because even with her oversized yard and ridiculous number of potted plants, she still insists on watering all her plants by hand, with the hose, every single day, for several hours. This is the kind of bloated, romanticized activity that only a retired person can afford to do. Or in my mom's case, someone who wants an excuse to get away from us -- her obnoxious family -- for an extended period of time each day. But for most of us, this is unrealistic.

Do you know that even when I’m out of the country, I can look up the weather in Dallas on my phone, and if I see that we are having a real scorcher back home, then I just quickly pull up my irrigation app and schedule another watering that day for all my potted plants? Maybe even a little extra for the especially needy ones. I feel like if my New Guinea Impatiens were a dog, they’d be one of those small yappy ones that just barks incessantly until you acknowledge it.

If it seems like I’m trying to sell you on this, it’s because I am. I don’t care what brand you use, and will also with complete confidence insist that this something almost anyone can set up themselves. Unlike in-ground lawn sprinkler systems, these little drip hoses are intuitive to install, extremely manageable, and can be found at any hardware store. And then once you spend the afternoon setting it up and running hoses to all your pots, you can enjoy the rest of the summer knowing that all your plants are getting watered – even when you are out of town.

You might not completely believe me until you set everything up this way and see for yourself, but the possibilities for your garden and patio that this will open up truly is astounding. Plus, your flowers will likely look better than they ever have, always getting the water they need. You know, some plants can be such drama queens if they aren’t watered twice a day, and Yes – I’m looking at you – wilting, collapsing, feinting New Guinea Impatiens! We see you already.

Jeez.

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Read more about my yard HERE!

Or, here's a very short video where I explain how I made my kooky little Tower of Pots!