Oklahoma City, Oklahoma has had one of the most amazing shifts in the history of any American city. This is probably what has made the nickname 'Cinderella city' stick. It had the quickest rags-to-riches change imaginable. In one day, the town went from nothing to 10,000 people! Now it is the largest city in Oklahoma. It was also the scene of the deadliest and most tragic terrorist attack before the 9/11 attacks. Despite the heartbreaks, the city has recovered and is also known as the Big Friendly because of the hospitable population. How does a city start so suddenly?
Oklahoma City was part of the first 'land rush' where settlers hastened to get their claims. As a result, over 10,000 people made claims in a day. It started as a tent city. A month later, Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce began to bring some order to the town. It was officially incorporated in the year 1890, just one year after it had started. By 1900, the city had doubled in population and was rapidly becoming an important city in the state of Oklahoma.
In the year 1907, Oklahoma was officially admitted to the Union as a state. The city of Oklahoma became essential both to the commercial world and transportation space. There were two options for the state capital. One option was the city called Guthrie, and the other was Oklahoma City. It remained in doubt which would be the capital until 1910 when Oklahoma City was made the state capital. A capital building was completed in 1917, but due to the United States' entry into World War I, the city did not have the funds to create the capital they had hoped for. They had hoped for a domed capitol building. They didn't get their wish until 2010.
Initially, commerce in Oklahoma City was primarily limited to agriculture. Cotton, corn, wheat, and cattle were the primary assets. In 1928, oil was discovered and became an essential part of the city's economy. The oil boom created an explosion of growth in the city, but it could not defend it from the ruin that was coming.
During the Great Depression, Oklahoma City suffered greatly. A shanty town called Hooverville was built there, as other Hoovervilles were also made in many other cities. The Hooverville was on the bank of the North Canadian River. The river often flooded and brought misery to the people on the shore. However, the population recovered well when World War II brought industry and aviation to Oklahoma City.
In the 60s, Oklahoma City experienced another major decline. The oil was finished, and they couldn't seem to replace it with something more sustainable. There was another oil boom in the 70s, but the area did not really recover until the 1990s.
In the 90s, the population was going down instead of up, and it looked like the city might be failing altogether. To save it, the people launched a massive renovation project that also involved putting in a public library and other such institutions. As a result, Oklahoma City began an upward climb once again, despite the tragedy of 1995.
In 1995, the terrorist attack that was the single largest in American history until 9/11 took place in Oklahoma City. 168 people were killed and almost 600 injured, leading to the erection of a monument at the site of the bombing, with an empty chair for each person killed.
Now, Oklahoma City has become a thriving area. Despite many setbacks and challenging times, the city has made it through. Its problem in recent years has been drought. While this is not as serious now, at the start of 2018, it was still a significant problem. In fact, in 2013 Oklahoma City instituted watering laws to reduce water usage. If you have a garden in Oklahoma City, it is generally recommended that you make sure your plants don't require a lot of water. What are some good plants you can enjoy without worsening the drought concern in the city?
The Mexican sunflower is usually an annual, although under certain conditions it can be a perennial. Its blooms are similar to those of the common sunflower, but it has more of a color range. It can be orange, red or yellow. It can grow to about five feet or more in height. It blooms almost constantly, and it's beautiful flowers attract monarch butterflies throughout its flowering season. They are not particularly finicky, which makes them a good option for home gardening.
Another type of plant it does well in the area is the tree peony. Peonies are very drought tolerant, and they also have beautiful flowers. Tree peonies can be trimmed as shrubs, and unlike some other types of peonies, they are perennials. They will die back and re-grow each year. These amazing plants have blossoms that can grow almost 10 inches in diameter.
The last type to mention here is yarrow. Yarrow is a plant that does very well in Oklahoma and has beautiful, multicolored flowers. It is a perennial that is an ornament to any garden. It is too much water that will kill this plant, rather than too little. It can grow to a height of three feet and is very low-maintenance. It will also attract butterflies and is highly drought-tolerant.
Each of these plants has been well adapted to drought, but sometimes gardening can be a major chore. You may be the type of person who loves to look at a beautiful, well-kept garden, but just doesn't have the time or energy to keep it that way. If so, we can help.
Here at Lawn Love, we offer professional gardening services. We are there to help you make your garden beautiful with less effort and time wasted on your part. When looking for a gardening professional, you usually have the difficult and time-consuming process of researching companies and getting someone out to your house so you can get a quote for your gardening needs. Not anymore! Lawn Love will give you a quote and connect you with a professional gardener in minutes, so call or schedule gardening services online today to help Oklahoma City keep looking like the Big Friendly it is!
