VOLUME 14, ISSUE 15 • April 12, 2018

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

Gardening This Weekend

Looking for an excuse not to work on income taxes this weekend? Perhaps you need to get outside and into the garden (even if it’s cool). If so, I have the things you'll want to get done while you're out there.

Photo: Zinnias are old favorites in Texas.

Resourceful Recycling

Diane Sitton has an eye for repurposed garden goodies, as you'll see in her story. Let your imagination run wild as Diane leads the way.

Photo: Spring cling. Upright bedsprings attract vines like bees to honey. Create garden screens or walls by growing hyacinth bean or air potato on large springs.

Plant of the Week: Bath's Hardy Pinks

I love this plant. Love its flowers. Love its fragrance. Love its foliage. Really love its durability when most other pinks and hardy carnations don't cope well with Texas. I’ll tell you more.

Photo: Bath's hardy pinks in bloom at our church in McKinney yesterday afternoon.

Question of the Week: April 12, 2018

"Neil, what is causing my Italian cypresses to die, and what can I do to stop it?"

This is a serious disease. Please see what I've written.

Photo: Still more Italian cypresses are dying this year.

Rose Rosette Virus Continues

Hardly a day goes by without someone asking what's wrong with their roses. The plants are stunted and malformed and the buds don't open properly. Could it be the fatal rose rosette virus. I'll explain the details.

Photo: This is what rose rosette virus looks like.

And, in closing…

That's it. No mas. Hasta luego. See you right here same time next week. E-gardens is now officially put to bed for seven more days. If you enjoyed it, shout it out proudly.

Until next week, let's meet up at the hamburger stand, on my website, on Facebook or on the radio. I might be in your newspaper, and we could see each other at church. So we have lots of chances.

Be well. Be safe.

And happy gardening!