VOLUME 14, ISSUE 30 • July 26, 2018

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

Gardening This Weekend

Hopefully you and your plants are surviving this extreme summer. I know it's been rough. Click through to see my checklist of the top tasks for this weekend. I've only listed those that really must be done at this time.

Photo: Sow seeds for heirloom cockscomb now for bloom in October.

Remembering a July Evening

Of all the things I have from my childhood, this is perhaps the most special. It's a story I've only told a few times, but I'll tell it to you now.

Photo: Special stepping stone from Neil's past. Read for the details.

Fall Garden Update

We're coming up on prime time for planting some of our most popular home vegetable crops. If you'll trust me on this one, I'll help you be more successful than ever. We just need to look past the heat.

Photo: Get the move on if you plan to grow bell peppers this fall.

Question of the Week Number 1: July 26, 2018

"What is wrong with my St. Augustine? Nothing I add seems to help."

I've had this question dozens of times in the past month.

Photo: Gray leaf spot is common right now.

Question of the Week Number Two: July 26, 2018

"What's wrong with my crape myrtles?"

Two insect pests are showing up on crape myrtles currently. Each creates its own nasty mess. I'll give you your best means of control.

Photo: Crape myrtle aphids (L) and scale.

And, in closing…

That's e-gardens for now, but we'll have more same time and same place next week. Tell your friends.

In the meantime, please join me on Facebook, on my website, in the newspaper (I write for upwards of 20 Texas papers), on the radio or via my podcasts. And we'll be in church with room down the pew.

Until next week, thanks for sharing time with us. If you get a little rain, please share that, too!

Happy gardening!

(By the way, our new hummingbird feeder is a rousing hit. We're seeing probably 30 hummers a day. Or the same 2 hummers 15 times each. See story last week.)