VOLUME 12, ISSUE 44 • December 1, 2016

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

Welcome to December! It looks like many of us are in for some cold and wet weather! And welcome to this latest edition of e-gardens. I hope you like the stories I've assembled for you today.

• Two of my favorite beautiful grasses;
• Maybe the best of all fall-color shade trees;
• My feelings on living Christmas trees;
• A hard lesson learned (again) about bricks;
• Our weekly checklist of critical tasks.

Time is running out for the special Christmas offer on my newest book: Buy one for yourself at just $31.95 and get the second and third books sent to the same address for only $26.95 each (all plus tax and postage). 344 pages. 840 photos. Not in stores and not on Amazon. Here's a link to the only place you can buy it.

Photo: Chinese pistachios are in full brilliant color all across Texas right now!

Gardening This Weekend

I include this information each week to help you prepare for the following weekend. You may, however, need to work around a few days of bad weather. Undaunted, here is your checklist.

Photo: Snapdragons planted now will grace your gardens all spring.

Trees for Fall Color: Chinese Pistachio

You gotta love a tree that can look great all growing season and still put together a fabulous program of fall color in November and December. Meet Chinese pistachio!

Photo: It doesn't get much better than Chinese pistachio's fall color in Texas!

Beauty Runs in this Family

Today's featured plants are first cousins from the Muhlenbergia clan. Lindheimer's muhly and Gulf muhly are (to my eye) two of the prettiest ornamental grasses in Texas. (Photos from the past several weeks.)

Photo: Lindheimer's muhly (L) and Gulf muhly (R).

Things I Know; Things I Don't Know

Not all bricks are equally made. Many of you know that. Some of us had to find it out the hard way. I had a bad reminder a couple of weeks ago, and I'll share the details here today.

Photo: Bricks failing badly in Sperry construction.

Living Christmas Trees

I'm asked every year to recommend the best living Christmas trees. My suggestions have evolved over my career, but honestly, I wish they had not. I'll share my feelings.

Photo: Eastern redcedar twig, cones

Christmas is for Caring

It's the 38th year that we've sought simple, inexpensive gifts for residents of the Denton State Supported Living Center. Please be involved. Tune us in 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. next week (Dec. 4-9) on WBAP 820AM. Call our phone banks at (214) 525-2550 to pledge a gift. Or donate online. Thank you!

And, in closing…

That's it for another e-gardens, but we'll be back at this same time and in this same cozy, warm and dry e-mailbox next week.

If you enjoyed it, share us with friends.

Until next week, Happy Gardening!

Neil