VOLUME 19, ISSUE 21 • May 25, 2023

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

Take a little time this weekend to remember those for whom we dedicate Memorial Day and its weekend. Plant trees or flowers in their honor.

In this issue…
Fun things this time around. Things I might not have paused to include in other e-gardens.
• Many mimosas - great baseball player;
• This weekend in the gardens;
• Rooting the devil's ivy;
• Scalding your red oak tree; and
• Stellar questions and my best attempts at answers.

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Photo: The repetitive pattern of mimosa leaves is one of Nature's unnoticed beauties.

Gardening This Weekend

It looks like you might have some really nice weather for gardening these next several days if you're going to be home. It's a last chance to tend to the spring landscaping activities prior to summer. I've jotted out my list and I'll share it.

Photo: Cleome (spider flowers) are little-used but attractive summer annual to plant now.

Restore and Pass It Along

This is a fun and easy project for a youngster or an apartment gardener. It's a quick way to start new devil's ivy, and it's just about foolproof. This is not our most scholarly article, but it will be short and fun.

Photo: You can root cuttings of devil's ivy in water.

Mimosa, or Silktree Albizzia

I'm guessing no Texan has ever called this tree by that second name, but I'll explain why it might be important. And I'll explain why this seemingly lovely little shade tree isn't the best choice for your landscape. Nonetheless, many Texans still love it.

Photo: Mimosas are in bloom (or soon will be) across Texas.

I've Warned You Once…

I've warned you a thousand times. This is what happens when a thin-barked tree gets planted without the protection of tree wrap. I'll explain what's happened here.

Photo: Shumard red oak is in bad condition.

Q&A
Ask Neil

We have a nice mix of trees, shrubs, lawns and problem-solving with pests in this week's Q&A department. See if any addresses some of your troubles.

And, in closing…

Last evening we celebrated another graduation at Serenity High in McKinney - the nation's first public recovery high school. Opened October 11, 1999, this event is one of my favorites of the entire year. Young men and women who have put their lives back on track and who have done so in sobriety.

And Mayor George Fuller declared last Friday as Jason Hernandez Day in McKinney. I'll do a special story on my good friend sometime in the near future here, but I'll let you Google around on his name and “McKinney” first. You're in for some incredible reading.

Please be safe and respectful this Memorial Day weekend. And dial in my radio programs, too. I'll be broadcasting live. Saturday morning 11:06-noon statewide over 30 stations. Saturday afternoon 1-3 over KLIF 570AM (also live streams). Sunday morning 8-10 over WBAP 820AM (also live streams).

That's it for now. Thanks for reading…

And Happy Gardening!

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