VOLUME 15, ISSUE 24 • June 13, 2019

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

Welcome to our mid-June, goodbye-to-spring issue of e-gardens. For much of Texas it's been a lovely week. (If we could just hit the "Delete" button on one major storm from this past Sunday in Dallas.)

In this issue…
• Why tomatoes and squash aren't setting fruit;
• Neil invites you to a special program;
• Dealing with dallisgrass;
• Gardening tips for the time; and
• Diane Sitton talks totems.

My program in McKinney…
Everything you ever wanted to know about crape myrtles. June 20, 7 p.m. at MPAC in heart of downtown. First talk I've given in 8 months. And it's free. Should be fun. Sponsored by McKinney Public Library System. More details in this issue.

My book and my signature…
I'm not as possessive/obsessive as these last two paragraphs sound! But if you'd like the best work I've turned out in my career, I'd be happy to sign it and send it to you.

Neil Sperry's Lone Star Gardening
• Not in stores and not on Amazon.
• Available only from my website and by calling my office (800) 752-4769 M-F 9-5.
• The definitive reference book for outdoor gardening in Texas.
• Hardback. High-quality paper. Printed in Texas.
• I sign every book. Satisfaction guaranteed!

Photo: Welcome to prime time in the world of crape myrtles!

Gardening This Weekend

I use mid-June as my cut-off time for several critical gardening activities, so you're going to see "last call" in reference to them in this week's checklist. But that's only if you click through to read them. Please do!

Photo: Purpleheart is a lovely perennial groundcover source of color.

Totem poles stand tall

Diane Sitton talks totems. Sorts you and I can make to express our own personalities!

Photo: Birds, welcome! This totem-pole-inspired bird bath is a medley of pastels.

Let's Talk Crape Myrtles!

Join me on Thursday, June 20, 7 p.m., in downtown McKinney. I'll be speaking on crape myrtles - how to choose them and use them, and how they got to be the great plants that they are today. Click for details of the free event sponsored by the McKinney Public Library System.

Photo: Crape myrtles are a part of McKinney's heritage.

Questions of the Week: June 13, 2019

"My tomatoes and squash aren't setting fruit. What can I do to change that? The plants look great."

I have two different answers for each crop. See which ones fit you best.

Photo: I'll explain this photo if you'll click to the next page.

Declare War on Dallisgrass

Dallisgrass is one nasty, ugly weed. When it decides to own your lawn, you'd better be ready to fight back. Let me help you identify it, and I'll give you guidelines on smacking it down.

Photo: Dallisgrass clumps are highly unsightly.

And, in closing…

That's it for e-gardens for this week. I'm heading back to work more on my talk for next Thursday evening. But we'll also be sending out e-gardens that very same day, so expect more timely tips from all parts of the landscape and garden.

I'd love to meet you on the radio this weekend, or reading one of my newspaper columns, or downloading one of my podcasts. Or I'll see you on Facebook. Let's talk about the plants at your place!

Until next week, to all our guys: Happy Father's Day. And to everyone in general…

Happy Gardening!

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