Let's hear it for October! Best time of the year for starting new landscapes. Bulb-buying time, pansy-planting as well. Roses are having a big second season. All that and more, and we have the details. We hope you enjoy this issue, and that you'll let others know about us as well!

We've had many requests for signed copies of Neil Sperry's Lone Star Gardening. We had copies sent from the printer in San Antonio for that express purpose. Neil has signed them, and they're boxed. We'll ship them the next business day after you order. Here are the details.

Welcome to the most-read part of e-gardens. Neil chooses questions of the greatest general reader interest and answers them here for you each month. He requires a photo, and he requests that you tell him the city where you garden. Click to send him your question and photo. Here are this month's answers.

"Fall Is for Planting!" This is the primest of times for many of your essential gardening tasks. You'll find complete details in Neil's new book, Chapter 2, the 48 pages devoted to calendars of monthly activities, but we've outlined the most critical among them right here.

Life got prickly for our Native Son this month, so he headed down a Texas road in search of answers. Click to read Steven Chamblee's philosophical musings on "The Significance of One."

Yes, there is a hydrangea that loves Texas soils and climate! This month Jenny Wegley of the Dallas Arboretum tells us all about Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snowflake'.

Fall's here, and it brought cooler weather with it. That means that first frost can't be too far away. That, in turn, means that it's time to take cuttings of the most prized plants in your garden, and that's what I did this past weekend. But space is always limited for any gardener. Cursor here to see how I decide which plants I'll save and which I'll replace.

This month veteran arborist Steve Houser of Arborilogical Services shares the first in a series of tree planting articles. Here are his essentials for planting the right tree in the right place.

Draw your own landscape plan. Let us teach you how, and save big bucks by registering now! Saturday, Feb. 14, all day at the Plano Centre. Steven Chamblee and I will bring our best. Learn all the principles of good landscape design and how to draw your own plan. We'll even hook you up with a design professional for a one-on-one consultation two weeks later. You'll leave with a finished plan. It's the perfect Valentine's gift - even better when you come together! Always a sell-out. Sign up now!

• Oct. 11: Music in Motion McKinney, 306 N. Church St. (2:30-4 p.m. book signing).

• Oct. 18: Grayson Co. Master Gardeners Fall Garden Show, (2:30-4:30 p.m., talk and book signing).

• Nov. 1: Antique Rose Emporium Fall Festival, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Independence, Tex. (talk and book signing).

• And Neil will be on Facebook, on radio, in newspapers and out in his garden.

The September/October 2014 issue of Neil Sperry's GARDENS magazine features articles about lacey oaks, onions, anoles and more! We think you will enjoy a recent article by Mary Wilhite of Blue Moon Gardens.

Mike Shoup of the Antique Rose Emporium writes this month about "the most romantic rose to ever come along." Click here to read his article about "the Sweetheart Rose."

Meet Rose, Jill, Valkyrie and Lydia, four more great animals looking for loving new families and good homes. Please read about them here, and come visit your DFW-area SPCA!

The calendar is jam-packed with events this month - with everything from plant sales to music by moonlight at a botanical garden near you! Click here to see our calendar of October events of interest to gardeners and nature lovers.

How did you hear about e-gardens? The prime way of growing our numbers (now more than 40,000) is by word-of-your-mouth (or your fingertips). Please tell others about us. Better yet, click forward at the bottom of this e-mail to send a copy to them.

Thanks for joining us in the garden this issue. If e-gardens has been useful, we hope you'll tell others about us. In the meantime, we'll be back right here on the final Thursday of October -- Halloween Eve. Sooner if anything critical comes up.

Until then, thanks for reading, and...
Happy Gardening!

Neil Sperry