VOLUME 17, ISSUE 7 • February 18, 2021

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

For the first time in 17 years, e-gardens is distributing late. Our roads in McKinney and the access to our office were just impassible. Thanks for your patience.

This week has been one for the scrapbook. "Ice and snow and 4 below." That's what we had at our house. Hopefully those times are behind us for a long, long time to come. I hope you have been safe and at least relatively warm.

In this issue…
• Anticipating the aftermath - what to do next;
• Gorgeous geraniums;
• Will this change pre-emergent timing?
• Critical tasks for the next few days, and;
• Are fireplace ashes good in the garden?

Neil Sperry's Lone Star Gardening
Not in stores and not on Amazon.
• Just what you need as things thaw.
• Everything I know about lawns, landscapes, flowers, fruit and vegetables.
• 11 chapters. 344 pages. 840 of my best photos. All in ONE gardening reference book.
• Chapter 2 alone will pay for the book - It's a 48-page calendar (4 pages per month) telling you when to plant, prune, feed and protect each plant that you're growing. Never in anything that I've written before.

Only $34.95 plus tax, postage.
Not in stores and not on Amazon.
• Instead, I have 1,500 sitting on the floor in our dining room.
• I sign every copy as it sells. I'll box and mail your book myself. Lynn's shoulder may be healed enough to let her join "the team" once again.
• Satisfaction guaranteed or full refund.

Order from neilsperry.com anytime, or call my office M-F: (800) 752-4769.

Photo: Geraniums sparkle in spring.

Gardening This Weekend

As we step timidly out of the deep freeze and back into spring, there are some critical things that remain to be done. Let me outline the most pressing among them.

Photo: Plant leaf lettuce and carrots from seed soon.

Anticipating the Aftermath

In case you're wondering what comes next in your landscaping and gardening endeavors, let me try to give some direction to what needs to happen after the thaw.

Photo: Sprinkler line valve may have broken in freeze.

Geraniums Galore

Harbingers of spring, geraniums abound in local nurseries right now. As temperatures finally decide to climb out of the freezer, these could be the plants to give you a quick pick-up for spring. I'll give you some guidelines.

Photo: Geraniums' wide range of colors could put some spring in your bloomers.

Question of the Week - Number 1: February 18, 2021

"Does this power cold spell change when we should apply pre-emergent weedkillers in the spring?"

Perhaps. I'll start to fine-tune my answer. Click for details.

Photo: Read what I have to say so you'll be ready.

Question of the Week - Number 2: February 18, 2021

"Neil, can we put fireplace ashes into our compost and garden?"

The answer depends on where you are. I'll explain why.

Photo: Soils map of Texas from Texas Almanac is a fascinating study.

And, in closing…

My friend, we've had a journey. For the most part, we've survived intact. Hopefully this issue of e-gardens has helped you tie up some loose ends.

(Received just before “press time”) A group of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Specialists and agents will be hosting a webinar next Friday, Feb. 26 at 4 p.m. to discuss turfgrass and landscape plants recovering from the past week's winter storm. To register for the Zoom meeting (Registration limited to 300 persons): https://agrilife.zoom.us/j/99349903290. Please click here to submit your questions to the specialists. This event will also be available via live stream on my own Facebook page.

I'll be on the radio live this weekend:
• My statewide program over 30-plus stations 11:06-noon Saturday morning. (call 888/256-1080)
• KLIF 570AM Sat. 1-3 p.m. (call 888/787-5543)
• WBAP 820AM Sun 8-10 a.m. (call 800/288-9227)

Podcasts of my programs are on my website. Join me on Facebook. Or in the newspaper. And I'll be right back here next week, back at our regular time (Thursday at 6 p.m.).

Until then,

Happy gardening!

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