Gardening in Texas is not for the faint of heart or weak-willed. Given the remarkable variety of soils, climate ranges, and the obstacles of stifling heat, humidity, and drought, the dedication of so many gardening enthusiasts speaks to the powerful hold plants have over people.

Living and gardening in Central Texas since 1969, Bill Scheick has celebrated successes and analyzed failures. Techniques and plants that worked in one yard did not necessarily work in another just a few miles away. In Adventures in Texas Gardening, Scheick shares, through personal accounts as well as...