VOLUME 20, ISSUE 36 • September 5, 2024

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

It's an eventful time of the gardening year. Summer is rapidly folding its tent, and fall is hurtling toward us. I'm ready if you are!

In this issue…
• This weekend's prime tasks;
• Apply pre-emergents this weekend!
• Steve Huddleston and his Dark Violet skullcap;
• Quick Tip on textures; and
• A lot of fun questions and my replies.

NEIL SPERRY'S LONE STAR GARDENING

Still only $34.95
for a little while longer

You would expect to pay more because…
• It's a hardback printed on high-quality paper.
• It has 344 pages and 840 photographs!
• You may not need any other gardening reference - it covers landscapes, lawns, fruit, flower, and vegetable gardens for every county in Texas.
• I'll sign your copy before I box it and take it to the post office.
• I'll personally guarantee your satisfaction, or I'll refund every penny.

Note: It's not in stores and not on Amazon.

Buy directly from my website
Or call my office
(800) 752-4769

Photo: ‘Dark Violet’ skullcap is a high-performing summer- and fall-flowering perennial.

Gardening This Weekend

Days are shorter. The sunlight is different. Fall is definitely nearing. There are gardening tasks that really need your attention soon. Let me jot out a few. See if you agree.

Photo: If you've been grooming plants to bring indoors for the winter, better check them for signs of insects. (Peperomias, bromeliads in Sperry gardens)

Time has come for pre-emergent application

Remember two or three weeks ago when I told you we were waiting for the first 60F night with rain? For much of Texas, that time has arrived. It’s pre-emergent time in Texas. Read on or suffer.

Photo: Annual bluegrass is the "enemy" and pre-emergent granules are the weapon.

Try this fine little perennial

Our friend Steve Huddleston is all in for 'Dark Violet' skullcap. He used it at their former house, and now he has it planted at their new house. He has some pretty good reasons. Let him share the details.

Photo: This is an elusive color in the summer/fall garden.

Quick tip from Nature

When you rev up your fall landscaping projects, consider plants' textures. They don't have to bloom to be beautiful. Some of them sing to us with their leaves, and that's the focus of this short story. This odd little photo I took a couple of years ago popped up on my phone this week. It told me to write this for you.

Photo: Nature did a nice job of blending her seedlings beautifully.

Q&A – Ask Neil

"Name that Plant" from last week. (It was flame acanthus.) A rabbit-proof screen. Life span of a box elder. Eliminating "Little Bradfords." My opinions on diatomaceous earth. All that and more. Not just your normal 'click bait!'

And, in closing…

That's what we call an e-gardens. Hopefully it's been a good read that's been helpful. Here's a link https://neilsperry.com/e-gardens/ you can copy and send along to a friend as you encourage them to sign up to receive it as you do.

In the meantime, I'm working on next week's edition. The weather has us gardeners re-energized. I'll have some fun stories for you.

Tune me in live on the radio this weekend. Or listen to podcasts of my program from my website. I'll see you in the dozen or so Texas newspapers for which I write, and I hope to see you in church.

Until next week,

Thanks for reading…

And Happy Gardening!

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