VOLUME 13, ISSUE 20 • May 18, 2017

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

Welcome to e-gardens. It seems like it was only a week ago that we met right here on your computer/laptop/tablet/smart phone/or other device. Well, nice to see you again!

This week, we have…
• How high to mow your lawn;
• Gardening this weekend - your most critical tasks;
• Purple and gold in the garden;
• Crape myrtle training; and
• Another great piece by Steven Chamblee!

We also have a few more days of my latest book on sale. Neil Sperry's Lone Star Gardening is only $29.95 (plus tax, postage). I self-published it, so it's the book I always wanted to offer. 344 pages. 840 of my photographs. Hardback. Printed in Texas by Texans! All books are personally signed. Satisfaction guaranteed with both the book and the signature!

The book is not in stores, and it's not on Amazon. They both have my dusty, old 1991 Complete Guide book with the boots. Please click here to order my far better book from my website.

Photo: Horsemint (Monarda) and black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) in bloom at North Haven Gardens.

Choose the Best Mowing Height

Many people make mistakes when they're deciding how high or short to cut their grass. Other people leave it up to a "yard guy," never questioning if it might be right or wrong. Let me give you details.

Photo: Mowing is a critical part of good lawn management.

Gardening This Weekend

Do check this section each and every week. This is where I'll give you early warning notices of problems. It's also where I'll outline the critical and time-sensitive tasks of that weekend. Click to see what I mean.

Photo: Soil is finally warm enough to plant caladiums. (Shade or early morning sun)

Purple and Gold

I came out of church Sunday and the beds were filled with purple and gold. I went to one of my all-time favorite nurseries on Monday, and it was filled with purple and gold. So I thought to myself, "I think I'll write about purple and gold."

Photo: Purple and gold wildflowers at North Haven Gardens this week.

Crape Myrtle Cut-back

Early January was unkind to crape myrtles. Many Texans, especially North Texans, found major damage and dieback. I posted this panel on Facebook two nights ago, then I decided I needed to share it here, too.

Photo: New sprouts point to the future for this crape myrtle. But…there's a concern.

Native Son

Steven Chamblee, my friend and respected garden ally, has found culture. Actually, cultures. He’s brought a serious upgrade to e-gardens by his study of a special subset of the culture of Snaxet. Don’t miss it!

Photo: Steven contemplates his ancestor as his ancestor contemplates Steven.

And, in closing…

That's what we compiled for e-gardens for this week. I hope you enjoyed it, and I really hope you'll tell someone else about it. Drop them a note with this link right now. Just copy and paste:

Thought you might enjoy seeing something I read every week:
http://neilsperry.com/egardens/20170518/20170518.html
If you enjoy it, you can sign up at http://neilsperry.com/e-gardens/

I'll sign off for now, but let's meet up on the radio, through my podcasts, in the newspaper, on Facebook, at my website, or in church (where we have those beautiful flowers).

Until next week,

Happy Gardening!

Neil