Neil Sperry

Texas

Neil Sperry - helping Texas gardeners since 1970. Sunday mornings 8-10 on WBAP 820AM. See his new book on his website. Follow him in 16 Texas newspapers.

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Articles

Gardening This Weekend: May 15, 2025

2 days ago | neilsperry.com | Neil Sperry

We have new assignments on our close-in horizon. That’s partly due to the temperatures and partly because of the time of year. Scan through the list. PLANT• Watch nurseries for late-spring perennials. Supplies dwindle quickly, so if you see something you like, better grab it and plant it. Watch for coneflowers, cannas, mallows, daylilies, and others. Also fall-blooming perennials such as fall asters and Mexican bush sage.
Q&A – Ask Neil: May 15, 2025 - Neil Sperry's GARDENS

2 days ago | neilsperry.com | Neil Sperry

(Please read these instructions carefully.)Before you post your question, please look at recent issues to see if someone else has already asked it. You might find your answer there. May 8, 2025 Q&AMay 1, 2025 Q&AApril 24, 2025 Q&AApril 17, 2025 Q&AApril 10, 2025 Q&AHow to submit your question…(Note: You may need to allow a pop-up window to come up in order to get the link for sending your photo(s).
Neil Sperry column: Call certified arborist to get to the root of the problem

3 days ago | theeagle.com | Neil Sperry

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Neil Sperry column:

4 days ago | theeagle.com | Neil Sperry

Secure transaction. Cancel anytime. Have an account? Log In Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Check your email for details. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account. × × Secure & Encrypted What's your email address? What's your name? Who is this gift for?
Spring season in North Texas means time to plant beautiful lantanas in the garden

1 week ago | star-telegram.com | Neil Sperry

Texas gardeners have always counted on lantanas to tolerate the heat. Few plants hold up to the scorching rays as well - none any better. And now that our soils are finally warming, it's time to get lantanas growing in your gardens. Before I get into their planting and care specifics, though, I want to go back to my days as a teenager climbing the hills of the Edwards Plateau with my dad.
Spring season in North Texas means time to plant beautiful lantanas in the garden

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Neil Sperry

Texas gardeners have always counted on lantanas to tolerate the heat. Few plants hold up to the scorching rays as well — none any better. And now that our soils are finally warming, it’s time to get lantanas growing in your gardens. Before I get into their planting and care specifics, though, I want to go back to my days as a teenager climbing the hills of the Edwards Plateau with my dad.
Ornamental pomegranates can still have showy flowers

1 week ago | fortstocktonpioneer.com | Neil Sperry

GARDENER’S MAILBAG Dear Neil, I bought two pomegranates and have been growing them for several years. Every year they bloom beautifully, but I never get any fruit. Did I buy a... Premium Content is available to subscribers only. Please login here to access content or go here to purchase a subscription.
Sperry: Cold injury still affecting crape myrtles

1 week ago | news-journal.com | Neil Sperry

Dear Neil: Why is my crape myrtle dead? The bark is splitting and peeling off. Inside, the trunk is black and the wood is moist. The plant beside it has leafed out normally. My grapefruit is another story. It leafed out, but it’s been dying back one branch at a time. Initially all the leaves looked as good as the lowest branch does now. The last several years have seen a great deal of dieback and even death of crape myrtles due to cold injury.
Q&A – Ask Neil: May 8, 2025 - Neil Sperry's GARDENS

1 week ago | neilsperry.com | Neil Sperry

(Please read these instructions carefully.)Before you post your question, please look at recent issues to see if someone else has already asked it. You might find your answer there. May 1, 2025 Q&AApril 24, 2025 Q&AApril 17, 2025 Q&AApril 10, 2025 Q&AApril 3, 2025 Q&AHow to submit your question…(Note: You may need to allow a pop-up window to come up in order to get the link for sending your photo(s).
Bloodleaf, my buddy

1 week ago | neilsperry.com | Neil Sperry

When I was a kid any kind of bright color appealed to me. Flowers were obvious, but when I could find a plant with colorful leaves, that was like buried treasure. Coleus, caladiums, crotons and copper plants were four “C’s” that made up much of my color garden, but somewhere I also found an Iresine – a bloodleaf. It might have been in the trashcans at the TAMU floriculture greenhouses. I was known to open their lids as I passed by in the evenings just to see what might have been tossed.