VOLUME 14, ISSUE 38 • September 20, 2018

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

What a weekend it's going to be. From an e-gardens standpoint, here's what we have.

In this issue…
• What's with all these mushrooms!;
• Quick Bits: 4 short stories, a novel approach;
• Steven Chamblee and the Cave Without a Name;
• This weekend's tasks; and
• Orange beauties.

Serenity Ride for Recovery postponed due to weather
The threat of rain Saturday morning forces us to wait to hold the motorcycle ride fund-raiser for Serenity High that I’ve mentioned here the past two weeks. It will be rescheduled in October. Watch here for details. The ribbon cutting at the school’s new location will proceed as announced.

Crape Myrtle Trails Fun Run, 5K and 10K
Join us Sat., Sept. 29. From the north parking lot of Boyd H.S., 600 N. Lake Forest Dr., McKinney. Registration opens at 7. The 1-mile Fun Run starts at 8. 10K and 5K start at 8:30. Fun activities for kids of all ages. This is our major fundraiser so we can provide Mother's Day crape myrtles to every 5th grade student in McKinney ISD. A portion of registration fees is returned to school physical education programs. For all the details, visit the website.

Neil to speak in Athens October 4!
I don't do as many talks as I used to, but who could turn down Athens in October! I'll be at the Athens Country Club beginning with a book signing at 6. Dinner will be at 7, and I'll speak at 8. It's all put together by the Henderson County Master Gardeners Association. Tickets are $50 each, and they're available at https://hendersonmg.ejoinme.org/fallconference. Print your receipt. It will be your ticket(s) to the event. If you prefer not to order online, you will need to buy through the Master Gardeners program, a part of the county Extension office.

Photo: Petunias are great in fall's cooler weather.

Gardening This Weekend

Wondering what you might want to put on your "to-do" list for this weekend? I can help! I've assembled the most important gardening entries, and I invite you to click through to read them.

Photo: Commercial landscapers are planting petunias right now. You can, too.

Native Son: On the Inside

One of Steven’s best stories ever. If you love Texas, you’ll love this one!

Photo: Seen from below, the cave's natural entrance is simply a 5 ft. x 8 ft. hole in the ground.

Orange You Glad I Featured These!

It's a festive fall color, that orange. And it's out and about across Texas right now. I've brought three plants that showcase it to e-gardens this week, and I think you'll enjoy all of them.

Photo: Crossandra is a little-sung hero plant for its cheering flowers.

Question of the Week: September 20, 2018

"Do I need to be concerned about mushrooms that are appearing in my lawn?"

Mushrooms of all types have really popped up after the rainy periods of the past several weeks. I'll let you know what you might want to do.

Photo: Wait 'til you see this photo full-frame!

Quick Bits

This is my first time to try this. One paragraph each on four different topics that have come up recently. Hope you find them useful and interesting.

Photo: Clockwise from upper left. Ragweed; cedar elms plucked; semi-circles in crape myrtle leaves; and worms in lawn.

And, in closing…

That's it for this week's e-gardens. If you need a really good book, I'm as biased as they come: I think I have one. Neil Sperry's Lone Star Gardening. Only $33.95 plus tax, postage. Click for details or to order. (It's not in stores or on Amazon.)

Your homework assignments between now and next Thursday: Join me on my website, on Facebook, on my podcasts, on the radio, in my newspaper columns, at the hamburger shack, or in church this Sunday. I'd like that!

Until next week, happy gardening!

Subscribe to Neil's Podcast!

Available for both Apple and Google Play

Click here to listen on Neil's web site »