VOLUME 13, ISSUE 41 • October 12, 2017

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

Thanks for joining us for this week's e-gardens. I've brought some fun and important topics.

In this issue…
• Favorite fragrant flowers for fall;
• Fall asters;
• Gardening this weekend;
• Attacking the armadillos; and
• A good thing gone wild.

My book as a gift?
Makes a lot of sense to me! Enough so that I've put it on sale. Buy one Neil Sperry’s Lone Star Gardening at regular price ($31.95) and get the second and third books sent to the same address for only $26.95 each (all plus tax and postage). December gets really hectic for me, so I'm putting this sale up a little bit early. Details are here.
• I sign every book.
• Inscriptions (short, please) if desired.
• Book is not in stores and not on Amazon.
• Self-published, so it's exactly the book I wanted to have for you.
• Hardback and fine paper.
• Printed in Texas! (Not China!)
• Covers all aspects of gardening.
• Satisfaction guaranteed.

Enough of the starters. Let's get e-gardens going.

Photo: Fall asters are jewels of October.

A Fall Favorite for Decades

Fall asters are in bloom across Texas, so all is right with the world. This beautiful little flower is a favorite with bees, butterflies and gardeners alike. It's a plant you'll want to have in your gardens. Let me tell you about it.

Photo: Fall asters in bloom in McKinney this week.

Gardening This Weekend

Cool weather mid-week made it officially OK to begin our fall tasks in earnest. I've made a list of the most critical among them. Please click through to see them.

Photo: Violas cheer up the cool months.

Favorite Fall Fragrances

Maybe you don't think of fall as a time of fragrant flowers, but it really can be. I thought it might be fun to highlight a few of the plants that stand out at this time of the year.

Photo: Elaeagnus pungens flowers are deliciously fragrant late each fall.

Question of the Week Number 1: October 12, 2017

"Neil, this weed is taking over my lawn. What is it, and how can I get rid of it?"

This is KR bluestem. Read the details and options for controlling it.

Photo: KR bluestem seedheads.

Question of the Week Number 2: October 12, 2017

"Neil, how can I get rid of armadillos? They are ruining our yard."

I'll tell you how we have caught more than 80 in our yard over the past 20 years.

Photo: Armadillo damage to lawn.

And in closing…

That's all she (he) wrote, folks. I'm done for e-gardens for another week, but stand by - there will be more to follow. Same e-mailbox. Next Thursday evening, just a tad after 6.

If you enjoyed this issue, please do me the favor of telling a friend.

Until next e-gardening time, I'll see you on Facebook, at my website, in one of my newspaper columns, or let's chat on the radio (or via podcasts). Above all, let's go to church.

Until next week, happy gardening!

Subscribe to Neil's Podcast!

Available for both Apple and Google Play

Click here to listen on Neil's web site »