VOLUME 15, ISSUE 37 • September 12, 2019

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

We're almost halfway through September already, and it still feels like the middle of summer. But that's going to change before long. Let's look ahead.

In this issue…
• Gardening current events;
• Ragweed abounds;
• Spider lilies of a different sort;
• Considering grub worms; and
• Diane Sitton's fall harvest from nature.

I have my signing pen ready!
And I'd love to sign a book for you or for someone on your gift list. It's great for a birthday, anniversary or housewarming.

Neil Sperry's Lone Star Gardening
Maybe the only gardening reference you will need. (OK. That's pushy, but I do think you ought to have it.)

• Only $33.95 plus tax and postage.
• Chapter 2 alone will cover the cost. It's a 48-page calendar, 4 pages per month, telling you when to plant, prune, fertilize and protect all the plants that you're growing.
• 10 other chapters cover basics, trees, shrubs, vines, groundcovers, annuals, perennials, lawns, fruit and vegetables.
• 344 pages. 840 of my best photos.
• Hardback, printed in Texas on high-quality paper.
• I sign every copy as they sell.
• Satisfaction guaranteed.

Not in stores and not on Amazon!
• Order from my office (800) 752-4769 weekdays.
• Order online 24/7 at neilsperry.com.

Photo: White spider lilies.

Gardening This Weekend

Surely this heat has to break soon. But for now it's still summer, and I've built this list of gardening tasks with that in mind. Click through to see what's most important for you to do in the next 3-4 days.

Photo: Iris should be dug and divided every few years and we're headed into prime time for that now.

A Spider of a Different Color

I’m a big fan of this flower, certainly including its red shade. This batch appeared in our landscape this week. Let me tell you about it.

Photo: This is a different species or hybrid of spider lily.

Message in a bottle

Our friend Diane Sitton uses a collection of antique bottles to showcase flowers of fall.

Photo: Cream of the crop. Vintage milk bottles add country charm to bouquets. This bouquet includes Mexican salvia, goldenrod, and Salvia leucantha.

Ragweed: Ah…Ah…Ah…Boo!

If you're sneezing and sniffling, this is probably your nemesis. It's ragweed, and it's in full bloom across Texas. You may have figured out why it's such a problem. Click through to see. I may have a surprise.

Photo: Foliage and flowers of ragweed as they appear right now.

Grub Worms: So Many People Ask

With all the lawn problems we've faced this summer (and in 2018), I've been asked scores of times about grub worms and how best to treat for them. See what I’ve said.

Photo: This is the larval insect I'm talking about. Read the details.

And, in closing…

That's it for this week's e-gardens. As the weather changes we're going to be keeping you updated on fall landscaping opportunities, so keep watching your e-mailbox.

In the meantime, join me on the radio, on my podcasts, on my website, in the newspaper, and at church this Sunday morning.

Thanks for reading, and…

Happy gardening!

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