VOLUME 20, ISSUE 39 • September 26, 2024

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

I told my wife yesterday as we were running errands that fall is my favorite season. The weather is great for gardening, yet we're free of so many of the stresses we have in the spring. In that light I offer the following:

In this issue…
• Why you want to pinch coleus;
• This weekend's goals;
• Spider plants vs. airplane plants;
• Diane Sitton's glamorous doghouses; and
• Your questions and my answers.

NEIL SPERRY'S LONE STAR GARDENING
A mere $34.95*

* You'd spend more than that on…
An average meal for two at a barely average restaurant. A tank of gas (way more). Most other hardback books.

Here you'll get a thick (344 pages) hardback book with 840 photos and a ton of information on every aspect of gardening written for every county in Texas.

And my book will serve you faithfully for many years. Can you say that about that average meal or your tank of gas?

Plus, I'll sign your book and I'll guarantee you'll be happy with it. Who guarantees that average meal?

Give it a try! You've been waiting. Wait no more.

Order from my website
Or call my office Tues.-Fri.
(800) 752-4769

Photo: There's something crisp and cheerful about variegated spider plants.

Gardening This Weekend

What a delightful change this week has been for much of Texas, what with rain and cooler temperatures. It gets us in the mood for fall landscaping and gardening. I've jotted down my own list of things to get done and I'm happy to share it with you.

Photo: Grape hyacinths can be planted to come back year after year.

In the doghouse … and lovin' it!

Dogs appreciate a great house just as much as you and I do. Our friend Diane Sitton has brought outstanding suggestions.

Photo: Puttin' on the dog. This mini-me doghouse matches the owner's home in color and style.

Spider plants are fun novelties

It's one of the more recognizable hanging basket plants in nurseries, but few gardeners know spider plant's history or culture. I thought this might a time to delve into both.

Photo: Spider plant's name comes from its formation of plantlets at the ends of drooping stems.

Here's the price we pay

Remember we talked a few months ago about how you don't want some plants to flower? Coleus are at the top of that list. I'll show you how these plants looked not quite 4 months ago, and I'll tell you how this could have been avoided.

Photo: Coleus blooming their flowering heads off.

Q&A – Ask Neil

Scale on wintercreeper. A weed that's more tenacious than kudzu. Liquid pre-emergents - for or against? Pruning the unprunable Texas sage? We cover the waterfront this week. See how I've addressed them.

And, in closing…

That's it for e-gardens for this final issue for September. I'll be back with more same time, same e-mailbox next Thursday.

In the meantime, join me live on the radio this weekend. I'll see you on my website. That's where we have podcasts of my programs.

Please join me in wishing a big Happy Birthday to my wife. Lynn is attending the Texas Association of School Boards annual convention in San Antonio this weekend. (I married way above what I deserved.)

Until next week, thanks for reading…

And happy gardening!

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