VOLUME 14, ISSUE 18 • May 3, 2018

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

I've really enjoyed preparing e-gardens this week. It's a full issue with loads of great information.

In this edition…
• Plants are coming out of our greenhouse;
• FIVE questions of the week!
• One of my favorite Plants of the Week;
• Critical tips to pruning your trees; and
• The "gotta-do" things for this weekend.

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Last call for Mother's Day gifts!

Photo: Iresine (bloodleaf) certainly lives up to its name.

Plant of the Week: May 3, 2018

"Texas" and "columbines" don't always come to mind at the same time. But thanks to my good friends and cohorts Greg Grant, Jerry Parsons and Steve George, this beauty is now commonplace in Texas horticulture. Let me tell you about 'Texas Gold' columbine.

Texas Gold, as photographed just a couple of days ago in McKinney.

From the Sperry Home Gardens: May 3, 2018

Spring finally arrives! I've waited and waited. Our tropicals have been in the greenhouse since the end of October, and this week we brought them back out. Let me show you some new ideas I'm using this year.

Photo: A few of the tropicals nestled into our permanent plantings.

Gardening This Weekend

It's turned a lot warmer these past couple of weeks and that means your work is moving in "fast forward." To help you keep ahead of the rush I've made a list of the most critical responsibilities for this time of the year. Click through to see them.

Photo: Poison ivy doesn't always roll out the welcome mat.

Questions of the Week: May 3, 2018

Not one! Not two! But five questions this week. These are questions that have come up several times in recent weeks just as they have for several years. Better click in to see them!

Photo: This pest showed up on my Facebook page. What should one do with it?

Purposeful Tree Pruning

We do some odd things in the name of "pruning" our trees. Professionals have several key secrets, and I've brought some to the table in e-gardens this week. In support of your trees, do take a look through them.

Photo: You can see evidence of prior years' prunings. Done well, it all heals correctly.

And, in closing…

And so another exciting edition of e-gardens rolls to a close. But we'll be back at this same time next week with more action and drama. We hope you'll join us, and we certainly hope you'll bring all your friends with you.

If you enjoy e-gardens, the biggest favor I ask is that you tell our advertisers. They make this weekly garden section possible, and a kind word from you would speak volumes in their ears and eyes.

Until next week, join me on the radio or via my podcasts, on my website or on Facebook, in a nursery or grabbing a burger or pizza, or best of all, in church this weekend.

Thanks for reading!

And happy gardening!

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