VOLUME 22, ISSUE 38 • September 17, 2026

Neil Sperry editor. Gretchen Drew design and circulation.

My Weatherbug app says parts of Texas will experience a slight cool-down next week. Hopefully that's a sign of things to come soon for all of us. This has been rough - on our plants and on the gardeners who love them.

In this issue…
• Purple fountaingrass is a longtime favorite;
• This weekend's top jobs;
• "Native" vs. "Naturalized"
• Monarch migration; and
• Your questions, my answers.

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Photo: Purple fountaingrass has been gracing American gardens for more than a century.

Gardening This Weekend

We should see just a few more days of this insanely hot weather across most parts of Texas. Then we'll be down to just crazy high temperatures. However you figure it, there are still critical things to be done as we hurtle into the fall.

Photo: Nurseries have Mexican bush salvia ready for planting now.

Purple fountaingrass is a longtime staple

Few ornamental grasses are as distinctive as purple fountaingrass. It's the clump-forming beauty you see in backgrounds of beds and standing tall in the centers of patio pots. I had no idea how long it had been around. Let me tell you a few fun facts about it.

Photo: Perhaps the most ornamental of all our grasses - purple fountaingrass.

"Native" versus "Naturalized"

You may have noticed that I often mention where plants have originated. It's important if we're going to cultivate them in our Texas landscapes and gardens. Few of the plants that we grow herein Texas actually have their roots here. I'll tell you about some interesting examples.

Photo: Kudzu was initially a welcomed guest, but the invitations were soon withdrawn.

There's a monarch miracle among us

You won't have to look very far to see myriads of monarchs fluttering through the Texas skies. Look closely and you'll notice they're heading south. Unless, of course, they're pausing to visit some of your blooms as they pass through.

Photo: Monarch butterfly finds nectar in blossoms of white mistflowers.

Q&A – Ask Neil

What's up with a pale pink American beautyberry? Pruning an old lavender plant. Dead branches in pecan trees. Temperatures for fall pre-emergents. Those were the thoughts that crossed your minds this week. See how I addressed them.

And, in closing…

That's it for this week. I spent extra time trying to give you a special edition. I hope you've enjoyed it.

I'll be back next week and I hope you will, too. In the meantime, I'll be on the air live on my statewide program 11-noon on Saturday, on KLIF Saturday afternoon 1-2, and on WBAP Sunday morning 8-9. Here's a list of my stations and phone numbers. I hope you'll call.

Keep the sunscreen and big hat handy and the water hose hooked up. I'll be watching for your eyes next weekend!

Until then…

Happy gardening!

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