VOLUME 13, ISSUE 30 • July 27, 2017

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

Plant of the Week: Texas Sage (Ceniza)

It's a magical little shrub that sits quietly in our gardens waiting its turn to burst forth into glorious bloom. And that bloom has been going on recently, triggered by July's repeated rainstorms. I'll tell you more.

Photo: Texas sage is one of our state's finest native shrubs.

Gardening This Weekend

Warm weather leaves you with a lot of critical responsibilities. Watering is prime among them, especially for new trees and shrubs. I've made a list of a bunch of others.

Photo: Plant green beans and wax beans now for fall harvest.

Night-Blooming Plants

This is the time of year when it's a lot more pleasant to spend time around the pool and patio in the evenings than it is in the daytime. You may have come to enjoy night-flowering plants. I've brought four of my favorites to e-gardens this week.

Photo: Burmansia 'Cherub' is a glorious tender tropical perennial.

Question of the Week Number 1: July 27, 2017

"Neil, what would kill a plant almost overnight? It was perfectly healthy just three weeks ago."

Cotton root rot is the culprit. I'll give the details.

Photo: Pyracantha is susceptible to soil-borne cotton root rot fungus.

Question of the Week Number 2: July 27, 2017

"Neil, something is eating the leaves on my plant. What can I do?"

It depends on the plant and the pest. Let me explain.

Photo: (L) Vinca leafrollers and (R) Genista caterpillars on Texas mountain laurel.

And in closing…

That's it for e-gardens, but we have lots of ways to keep in touch. Join me on Facebook, on the radio and podcasts, in your local newspaper, at my website or Sunday at church. Or somewhere in Downtown McKinney. Come see us!

Until then, happy gardening!

Neil