VOLUME 18, ISSUE 21 • May 26, 2022

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

Gardening This Weekend

If you were to ask me which tasks were most critical to finish by the end of this month, these are the ones I'd put on my list.

Photo: Plant now for heat-beating color. Sunflowers should fit that category.

Mandevillas - Hard not to love 'em!

Soft pastels cool a hot Texas summer better than anything else around, and I can't think of any flower better than glorious pink mandevillas. But she brings cousins to the mix now. Let me tell you about them.

Photo: Pink mandevillas are popular tropical vines.

Oxalis - Beloved and Behated

Curious, isn't it, how plant families can have good plants and bad plants. And such it is with the genus Oxalis. I'll share a couple of the extremes.

Photo: Purple oxalis and yellow wood sorrel.

Loose Ends

I have three quick topics that don't merit full stories, but that each ought to be mentioned. Horseherb: groundcover or weed? Poinsettia: my last of an era. Beautiful mushroom.

Photo: Just click through and I'll describe them.

Q&A
Ask Neil

This week’s questions range from gardenias dropping leaves and flower buds to trees like Chinquapin oaks, Texas ashes and Emerald Green arborvitae that are all under the weather.

And, in closing…

I'll be on radio this weekend. Statewide via 30-plus stations Saturday morning 11-noon, then Saturday afternoon 1-3 on KLIF 570AM in DFW. Sunday morning join me on WBAP 820AM from 8-10 a.m. All programs live stream.

And we have a winner!
Congratulations to Miguel Pastenes of Arborilogical Services of DFW. Miguel is, as of last weekend, the 13-time Texas State Champion tree climber! He will represent Texas in the North American Tree Climbing Championship (which he has also won) later this summer. As a team, Arborilogical Services has now won this trophy, named for its founder Steve Houser, collectively 27 different years with 8 different climbers. (For purposes of disclosure: Arborilogical Services is an advertiser here in e-gardens and on my radio programs and website.)

“Taps” Across America Monday, 3 p.m.
Finally, in what should become a beautiful forever Memorial Day tradition, if you’re a musician, Steve Hartman of CBS News invites you to step outside and play Taps at 3 p.m. local time Monday. Click here for details.

Our country's blessings to you and yours…

And happy gardening.