VOLUME 13, ISSUE 9 • March 2, 2017

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

 
 
 
 

Those of us who grew up in Texas know that today, March 2, is Texas Independence Day. My 7th grade Texas History teacher Mr. Holland would be proud of me for pointing it out!

It also feels like the first weekend of spring, so I've assembled appropriate stories.

In this issue…
This is the weekend to apply pre-emergent granules!
• Gardening this weekend;
• The magic of frost cloth!
• A roundup of redbuds; and
• Question of the Week about live oaks.

If you enjoy e-gardens, please tell others about us. And that said, let's get on with the Independence Day celebrations!

Photo: This barn in Rainbow, Texas, celebrates its home state every day of the year.

 
 
 
   

Pre-emergent/Now or Never!

Your ONLY chance to prevent these weeds in 2017 is here now! I have the details!

Photo: These are the enemies, crabgrass and grassburs, as they will appear in several months. Prevent them now!

 
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Gardening This Weekend

Gardening is about to get great. It's March, and the fun times are set to begin. But they come at you like racecars. I've plucked out the most critical tasks and put 'em into a list on the next page.

Photo: Petunias handle cold weather, even light freezes well.

 
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The Miracle of Frost Cloth

If you ever doubted whether covering tender plants with frost cloth in the winter might make a difference, wait 'til you see what's on the next page.

Photo: This photo was taken the day we covered a planting of cast iron plants in our landscape (Dec. 8, 2016). We just uncovered them a few days ago. See them!

 
 
 
   

Redbud Roundup

My wife loves redbuds. Therefore, I love redbuds as well. And this time of year is purely inspirational. They're in bloom all across Texas, and they love our state. I've assembled a bunch of the varieties you'll see in your local nurseries right now.

Photo: Bee visits redbud in spring

 
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Question of the Week: March 2, 2017

"Neil, why are my live oaks and waxleaf ligustrums losing all their leaves?"

See the simple explanation!

Photo: What’s causing live oak leaves to drop?

 
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And, in closing…

You've come to the end. We go no farther. At least until this same time and place next week.

But you can join me on the radio any day of the week, on podcasts any minute of the week, on Facebook at any time that you please and in newspapers when you sit down to read.

This was fun. Let's do it again!

Oh, and I feel like signing books. If you'd like a copy of my newest book, Neil Sperry's Lone Star Gardening, you can buy it here at any time or you can call my office (800) 752-4769 during weekday business hours. Remember that this book isn't in stores or on Amazon. It's the best work I've ever turned out (except for my children).

There. Now I'm done.

Happy gardening!

Neil