VOLUME 22, ISSUE 21 • May 21, 2026

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

Gardening This Weekend

It's a busy weekend with the holiday, friends and family in town for graduations and weddings. I've pared my list down to the most critical things to do as we head toward the end of May. See what you think.

Photo: It's a good time for planting cleome (spider flower). It stands up to Texas heat and keeps smiling.

Native Son: Rhodies

Steven Chamblee, one of our favorite Texas gardening authorities, now lives near Portland, Oregon, where rhododendrons reign supreme every May. Having been there myself, I asked him to put their beauty into his own words. You’ll love the results!

Photo: Steven’s a strappin’ lad far more than 6 ft. tall. Do the math yourself on this rhodie’s height.

Tiny pest causes huge problems

It's hard to imagine that a pest so small could be the most damaging threat to cultivated plants across Texas, but that's where spider mites rank on the list. Let's give some details.

Photo: Let me show you how to ID spider mites before they get to this horrific point.

An "A+" for the Bees

If you're in the market for pollinator plants, beebalm should be at the top of your list. They're showy perennials that are favorites of bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, and they're in bloom across Texas right now. Let's chat.

Photo: Here's what beebalms look like.

Q&A – Ask Neil

You outdid yourselves this time around. Clerodendrum (first question ever). Cherrybark oak (first question ever). Leggy hibiscus. Frosted crape myrtle. Gardenia for a patio pot. And more. See it all including my answers.

And, in closing…

Thanks for checking in on this week's e-gardens. I hope you enjoyed Steven's visit to the Pacific Northwest. I was sent to Portland on a photographic assignment in 1978 and fell in love with the rhododendrons and all the plants that grow with them. It was nice to have Steven share them with us.

I'll be on the air live this weekend and I hope you'll join me. I have a list of stations, times, and frequencies on my website as well as phone numbers you can call.

And I'm still writing for a dozen Texas newspapers. – some readers took the wrong message away from one of my newspaper stories last week. I am not retiring.

Have a good and safe weekend and week. Until next issue…

Happy Gardening!