60 bucks a month on my water bill says those fabric pockets are a scam. I tried one of those felt things last summer and it was bone dry by noon every single day, my basil looked like a dried up weed by July. Plus the pockets sagged and leaked dirt all over my patio after a few weeks, had to hose the whole thing down twice a week. You might have gotten lucky with drainage but in this Texas heat they're just a constant job to keep alive.

South facing is actually way too much light for a Boston fern too.

My sister swears by overnight chilling too but honestly I've never noticed that big of a difference. If you're in a hurry just pop them in the freezer for 15 minutes instead and they'll hold their shape just as good.