VOLUME 13, ISSUE 6 • February 9, 2017

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

I'm calling this week's e-gardens a "mini-masterpiece." I have no particular reason. I just wanted to self-declare a victory.

In it you'll find…
• Possumhaw hollies - you need to grow them!
• Status of recent freeze damage
• Gardening This Weekend (our regular checklist - ever so timely!)
• Retraining crape myrtles
• Question of the Week - how often to water?

Podcasts of last Sunday's 2-hour program with Dr. George Ray McEachern of Texas A&M on fruit and pecans are available at my website.

Let's get it all underway!

Photo: Masses of possumhaw holly berries. A great Texas plant for the wintertime!

Gardening This Weekend

Each week sees temperatures creeping up. So what's a gardener supposed to do now? What tasks are most critical for early/mid-February? I'll list 'em.

Photo: Garden-fresh potatoes are some of the best vegetables of all. Start them now.

A Second Chance at Beauty

Topping crape myrtles ruins them, seemingly forever. However, there is hope, and a Facebook friend trusted me enough to try a radical approach. Her results are looking great so far!

Photo: Old trunk was cut flush with ground to encourage regrowth from below.

Warren's Red Possumhaw Holly

They're as pretty as if they were covered in flowers. But these are bright red holly berries. Yep! Holly berries — on plants that don't have spiny leaves. You're going to love possumhaw holly.

Photo: Possumhaw holly on Virginia Parkway, McKinney five days ago.

Question of the Week: February 9, 2017

"Neil, how often should I be running my sprinklers during these winter dry spells?"

Aha. It's another variation of the question that's impossible to answer. But I'll try anyway.

Photo: Wintertime watering is necessary, but don't overdo it.

Cold Damage Notes

We haven't talked about this for a couple of weeks, but the cold damage of early January is now becoming more obvious. I'm going to give you a couple of specifics and some general guidelines on what to do next.

Photo: These waxleaf ligustrums are probably goners, and it was due to January's extreme cold.

And, in closing…

If you enjoyed e-gardens, please do me the one little favor by sharing it with friends. They can sign up at my website, and you're the best one to encourage that. http://neilsperry.com/e-gardens/

Need a gift for a gardener (or for yourself)? My newest book Neil Sperry's Lone Star Gardening is a great option. It's not in stores, and it's not on Amazon. Order it here. I'll sign it and personalize it if requested, and I'll personally guarantee complete satisfaction or I'll refund every penny.

That's it for this time. Next week might be even better. I'll have it to you by just a little after 6 next Thursday evening. Until then, I'll talk with you on radio, and I'll see you on Facebook, at my website, in my newspaper columns and at church this Sunday morning. Our grandson and I are ushering this month.

Happy Gardening!

Neil