Killeen's landscape sits on some of the toughest soil in Central Texas, a dense clay caliche that drains poorly, bakes rock-hard in summer, and makes root establishment a genuine struggle for even experienced gardeners. The rolling terrain around Fort Cavazos receives about 33 inches of rain annually, but it tends to arrive fast and sheet off the surface rather than soaking into that stubborn hardpan. Neighbors in Harker Heights and Copperas Cove face the exact same conditions, and bulk-delivered amended topsoil has become the practical fix for beds that refuse to cooperate with native ground. Hardwood mulch laid three to four inches deep slows moisture loss during Killeen's long, punishing summers, and crushed granite or river stone fills in the low-maintenance corners where grass simply gives up.