VOLUME 14, ISSUE 17 • April 26, 2018

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

At last! A great looking weekend for gardening. And I've prepared an e-gardens to get the ball rolling. I don’t know that I’ve ever told you, but we send this out on Thursday evenings so you can make plans and shop on your way around town on Friday, before the weekend crowds hit the nurseries.

In this issue…
• Doublefile viburnum from the Sperry backyard;
• My personal Top 10 for Summer Color;
• Rose rosette virus, an update;
• Garden tips for this weekend; and
• Galls and oaks, a Texas partnership.

Booked a good read lately?
I can't guarantee that you'll read it cover to cover. It's not that kind of a gardening book. But I do think you'll refer to it quite often.

• 11 comprehensive chapters covering all aspects of Texas landscaping and gardening
• Not a re-do of my 1991 (27 years ago!) book with the cowboy boots - totally different layout and content
• 344 pages and 840 of my photos
• Printed 10 miles from The Alamo! By Texans!
• Hardback. High-quality paper. I went to all the press checks!

Best of all…
• Only $31.95 plus tax, postage
• I sign every copy as they sell, personalized if requested (short inscriptions please)
• Same or next-day shipping
• Great Mother's Day or birthday gift!

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

Photo: Colorful coleus can be planted now, counted on until fall.

My Personal Top 10 for Summer Color

Whatever you plant now is likely to be out there for the next several months. You might as well use plants you will like. I've called a meeting of my 10 favorite plants. Hope you enjoy them.

Photo: Trailing lavender, white lantana

Plant of the Week - April 26, 2018: Doublefile Viburnum

You don't see this plant in Texas landscapes very often. And you won't see it in mine unless you're in our sunroom looking out. It's a handsome tall form of viburnum.

Photo: Doublefile viburnum blooming in the Sperry backyard this week. "Photographic lens" by Pella Windows.

Gardening This Weekend

It looks like we'll finally have a nice weekend for gardening across Texas. I've made a list of some nice gardening activities to go along with it. Check 'em out!

Photo: Cosmos planted now will cheer up late spring into summer.

Question of the Week: April 26, 2018

"Neil, what are these growths on my oak tree and what should I do about them?"

I'll give you the facts you'll want to know.

Photo: Galls are already showing up on Texas oaks.

Rose Rosette Continues to Spread

This fatal disease has devastated roses in the DFW Metroplex for the past 6-7 years, but it's much more widespread than that. Do your roses have it? How will you know if they do? What should you do? Please see what I've written.

Photo taken just a few days ago in McKinney showing RRV in a bed of white floribundas.

And, in closing…

There's a lot of information between the covers of this week's e-gardens and I hope you've found it useful enough to send on to your friends. Please copy and paste this url in an email or onto social media. Thanks!

http://neilsperry.com/egardens/20180426/20180426.html

I'll be back next week at this same place and time, and I hope you'll be here waiting. Until then, join me on my Facebook page, on my website, or tune me in via my radio programs or podcasts. And I'll see you in church.

Thanks for reading, and

Happy Gardening!

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