VOLUME 14, ISSUE 16 • April 19, 2018

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

Gardening is at its best this time of the year. Spend a little time with us and we'll make it even more fun.

In this issue…
• Secrets to success with new sod;
• What to do with trees' surface roots;
• Critical tasks for this weekend;
• Pyramid-builder Steven Chamblee; and
• Why some plants' leaves are turning yellow.

One book - 10,000 tidbits…
I'm as biased as I can be, but I think this is probably the most information-packed gardening reference out there for Texas. Best of all, Neil Sperry's Lone Star Gardening is only $31.95 plus tax and postage.

• 344 pages and 840 of my photographs
• 11 chapters that cover every part of gardening outdoors, from lawns to landscapes to fruit and vegetables
• I sign every book and I'll personalize yours if you request
• Great Mother's Day or birthday gift
• Satisfaction guaranteed

Not in stores and not on Amazon.
Order today from my website or by calling my office M-F 9-5 at (800) 752-4769.

Photo: Fanflower and Dahlberg daisy provide cheerful contrast of colors.

Gardening This Weekend

It doesn't get any better than gardening in late April and May here in Texas. I've made a quick list of the time-sensitive tasks. Click through to see them.

Photo: Fanflower and Dahlberg daisies make handsome pairing.

Native Son: My Little Pyramid

When the late-winter ice storm took out his Arizona cypresses, our buddy Steven Chamblee reached into his big bag of tricks and pulled out…a pyramid! Wait ’til you read his details!

Photo: Steven saw the great pyramids of Chichen Itza in Yucatan recently, and now he’s built one.

Getting Started With Sod

The quickest way to a great new lawn is by planting sod, and this is the best time of the year to do so. I've made a list of the critical points and pitfalls. Better read through them.

Photo: St. Augustine sod stacked and ready to load.

Question of the Week Number 1: April 19, 2018

"We're getting large numbers of surface roots beneath a couple of our trees. Should we be concerned? What can we do about them?"

I have some useful tips.

Photo: Surface roots develop beneath many species of trees. But are they a problem?

Question of the Week Number 2: April 19, 2018

"Neil, what is wrong with my shrubs? They looked good a few weeks ago. Now they're dropping masses of leaves."

I'm hearing this several times daily. I'll answer it for you.

Photo: Nellie R. Stevens holly has yellowed leaves.

And, in closing…

That's all for another week of e-gardens. If you enjoy it each week, all I ask in return is that you share it with others. Send them to the sign-up page on my website (http://neilsperry.com/e-gardens/) and suggest that they scroll down to see the most recent issues. If you can get them that far, we'll take it from there.

Here's hoping you'll have lots of time to spend outdoors these next seven days. Until next week in e-gardens, I'll hope to see you on my website, in one of about 20 Texas newspapers for which I write or on my Facebook page. I'll be on the radio, of course, or we might see you at church. I would enjoy that.

Until next week, thanks for reading, and

Happy Gardening!

Subscribe to Neil's Podcast!

Available for both Apple and Google Play

Click here to listen on Neil's web site »