VOLUME 16, ISSUE 2 • January 9, 2020

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

 
 
 
 

Welcome to e-gardens for a winter week in Texas. It looks like some dramatic weather changes are near at hand. Still, I’ll see if I can't stir up some really good topics to get you excited.

In this issue…
• Grow your own pineapple;
• Great lawn weed ID webpage;
• Maybe the most fragrant bloomer;
• Garden tasks of right now; and
• Diane Sitton helps us attract birds!

Neil Sperry's Lone Star Gardening
• Maybe the only garden reference you'll need.
• A better book and a quarter-century more up to date than my old cowboy boot book.
• Covers everything about landscapes and gardens for all of Texas.
• I sign every copy as it sells.
• Satisfaction guaranteed or full refund.
• Not in stores and not on Amazon
• Available only from my website or by calling (800) 752-4769 weekdays.

Only $33.95 plus tax and postage!

Photo: Orange pyracanthas brighten a mid-winter landscape. Did you know there are recipes for making jelly from pyracantha berries online?

 
 
 
   

Gardening This Weekend

It's looking like next week may be a bit cooler. (Hey, it's January!) Let's outline the things you'll want to get done as time and temperature allow. These will all be seasonally sensitive and critical to your gardening success.

Photo: Snapdragons can be planted now in all but the coldest parts of our state.

 
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Winter … it's for the birds

Our friend Diane Sitton helps us bring birds to our backyards with some great tips you’ll enjoy.

Photo: Yaupon hollies are colorful all winter, fine dining for birds come early spring.

 
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Grow Your Own Pineapple

Have a little fun. Raise your own little pineapple. It's the ultimate form of garden recycling. I'll explain how, but you'll need to click to the next page.

Photo: Pineapple produced by a home gardener.

 
 
 
   

Ever Need a Weed ID?

I was doing a little research online a couple of days ago and I stumbled onto a very useful TAMU web page that will help you identify just about any Texas lawn weed. Take a look!

Photo: Can you identify these weeds? (Photos by TAMU Extension turf specialists)

 
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Beautiful Name, Fabulous Fragrance

You're going to have a hard time finding a sweeter smell than this one, but it comes with a price. The flowers smell great, but the plant is plain ugly. Maybe you still want one. Let's chat.

Photo: Winter honeysuckle is the plant on the left!

 
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And, in closing…

It's almost quitting time, so I'm going to declare a victory for this week's e-gardens. I hope you agree. I'll be back with another one same time, same e-mailbox next week.

In the meantime, tune me in on radio. (No KLIF this weekend due to TCU basketball.) Join me on Facebook. Please visit my website and sample my podcasts there. I'll see you in church, and I'll hope to see you in a local nursery sometime very soon.

Thanks for reading, and

Happy gardening!

 
 

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