VOLUME 17, ISSUE 17 • April 29, 2021

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

Pull your plants up and gather 'round, gard'ner. I have a timely, informative, exciting e-gardens in store for you. Actually, they all are. This one, however, just a little bit more.

In this issue…
• Oak and finally crape myrtle updates;
• Are you feeding your trees wrong?
• Itch, itch, itch;
• Exotic colors from the rainforest floor; and
• This weekend's prime goals.

Neil Sperry's LONE STAR GARDENING
Sale expires THIS COMING MONDAY, May 3

Photos: (Top) sheets as they arrived from printer and (Bottom) as book is being sewn. There are 15 or more steps in the process of finishing the book. (photos provided by Universal Book Bindery)

• Truck will arrive with the first load of books sometime Monday, May 3.
• 5th printing of the best work of my career (my personal opinion)
• Covers everything pertinent to outdoor gardening in every county in Texas: lawns, landscapes, flowers, fruit and vegetables.
• 344 pages. 840 photographs. Hardback. High-quality paper.
• Printed in Texas, not overseas!

Save $5. Only $31.95
Price goes up when truck arrives

• Will be $36.95. Price will never come back down to $31.95 again. (All prices, plus tax and postage.)
• I will sign every book as it sells. I'll start signing as soon as the truck arrives.
• Satisfaction guaranteed or full refund.

Not in stores. Not on Amazon.
Order here from my website now.
or by calling my office M-F 9-5 at (800) 752-4769

Photo: Persian shield will win your heart the moment you see it.

Gardening This Weekend

Repairing winter damage and getting landscapes and gardens geared up for the main part of the growing season are the two prime projects for the next few days. I'll give you the fine-tuned details.

Photo: Time here for planting new shrubs.

Of Oaks and Crape Myrtles

Probably half of the questions I'm being asked right now have to do with these two groups of plants and how they are reacting to the aftermath of the cold. Let me give you my thoughts.

Photo: Experts discuss how to handle crape myrtles.

Persian Shield - Foliage is Fabulous

This is an other-worldly looking tropical plant. It's dazzling. It loves heat. And it's out there in garden centers. Let's see if it's a match for your gardens this year.

Photo: Few plants measure up to the exotic look of Persian shield.

Question of the Week - Number One: April 29, 2021

"How can I identify poison ivy in my groundcover beds and shrubs?"

I'll give you the best ways to tell (short of infecting yourself).

Photo: Poison ivy seedling.

Question of the Week - Number Two: April 29, 2021

"What is the best way to fertilize trees? Root-feeding rods? Stakes? Punching holes in the ground and pouring in fertilizer?"

I'll give you my answer, and based on your question, it may surprise you.

Photo: Live oaks benefit from good nutrition.

And, in closing…

I promised you exciting information in this week's e-gardens, and I believe we've delivered. If you agree, please tell your friends.

Diane Sitton will be with us a week early next week with her story "Color Gone Wild." I've already seen it, and it's fabulous!

In the meantime, thinking ahead a week, buy your mom a plant or a book, or give her a couple of hours of your time in her garden, then have an Uber Eats dinner out in the yard with her to celebrate.

Join me on Facebook, on the radio, in a dozen Texas newspapers, via my podcasts, or at my website. Or I'll see you in a local independent retail nursery because they're the best.

Until next week, thanks for reading.

And happy gardening!

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