Customer Reviews

Neil Sperry's Complete Guide to Texas Gardening

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

For years, Mr. Sperry's advice has been taken as the absolute truth by his radio listeners. Folks, there are much better sources for gardening information out there. Chemical toxins and synthetics are not the answer for everything going on in your yard. In fact, they are much more the problem than the solution. MSMA is a particular Sperry favorite, fine if you accept the "Arsenic" as a good weed-killer. He also recommends spraying weeds with 2, 4-D. This will kill your trees! A commonsense, natural approach is now becoming the "norm" these days. Author Howard Garrett is a much better choice for your gardening library.

This is my second favorite gardening book. It is very comprehensive with over 400 plant listings. It has descriptive listings of the different varieties of each species. The photographs are informative and beautifully shot.

I am mot awarding 5 stars for the following reasons. Important information such as water needs is missing. The other information is poorly organized and forces you to read through a large description to find it. The chapter divisions are not usably organized. For example Dale Grooms Texas Gardening Guide has chapters on Annuals, another on Bulbs, Corms, Rhizomes, and Tubers, another on Native Wildflowers, another on Perennials, and a separate chapter on Roses. Dale Groom also has icons identifying Sun Preference and whether it is Drought Resistant. This is much easier to use.

Well worth having in your library, but because it is not easy to use, it will probably not be the first book you reach for.

Wonderful book on the ins and outs of gardening in Texas. Lots of hints and ideas to use for designing and maintaining your yard, garden, etc... Great reference. Highly recommended

As a longtime Texas resident, first in the DFW area and currently in the San Antonio area, and an amateur gardener, I have collected over the years, every book I can find on the subject of gardening, particurally Texas gardening.

Although I believe many aspects of the book could be improved, such as its organization, latest organic techniques, newer varieties etc., (How about a third edition, Neil?) I still believe it is the best single volume reference for the homeowner.

(...)

Do you need a quick reference full of information tailored to Texas gardening (yes, it is different here)? Look no further. So many gardening references try for a national application, but you won't be able to employ them successfully here. Sperry does a great job in this tome and it is never far from me in the spring, summer and fall.

Great advice on lawns as well. I use it for advice on my lawn all the time as well.

Sperry also has a great radio show worthy of note.

I became a first time homeowner 2 years ago and I didn't know anything about gardening. My friend recommended this book to me and it has been very educational. It is the only book I reference when planning my garden. This book is broken down by topic: Perennials, Annuals, Trees, Shrubs, etc. It explains the differences between all the flowers and what environment is best for each flower/shrub/vine/trees. The pictures are great! There are pictures of almost every plant he describes. I have able to choose my flowers to plant each season from the book so when I go to the nursery I know exactly what I need.

Although there is a lot of helpful information in this book, there are some major drawbacks. First, not every plant described is accompanied by a photo. Also, some basic information is missing for many plants (like mature height, type of light/soil required, when the bloom period is..). The book also feels somewhat dated both in the plants covered (and some of the more newly popular natives that are not covered) and the presentation. There also really isn't a whole lot of insight offered by this author. Some of my favorite gardening books are Native Texas Plants, Texas Bug Book, and the locally available "Garden Guide for austin and vicinity" and the excellent and free pamphlet "Native and Adapted Landscape Plants" available at local nurseries and the extension office.

Neil Sperry's knowledge of plant species is phenominal. It's too bad that he rejects organic gardening techniques in favor of chemicals. In fact, his love of pesticides makes him look like a poison salesman, complaining when one of his favorite neurotoxins is taken off of the market. He is just as enthusiastic for high-nitrogen chemical fertilizers over safer, soil-building organic fertilizers.

For information on the plants themselves, this book is excellent, with its color photos and descriptions. But for planting, nourishing, and maintaining them, you're far better off finding an organic guide. I would suggest any of Howard Garrett's books. You might start with his new Organic Manual, which should offer his latest recommendations for building and maintaining healthy, flourishing gardens without the unnecessary, unhealthy, and ineffective poisons and chemicals that Mr. Sperry seems to love.

If you garden in Texas, this will not be a coffee table book for very long. I've given copies as gifts, loaned mine out, quoted it & thumbed through it daily for 10 years. Neil won't lead you astray...

I have owned this book for several years and it is still the Bible of Texas Landscaping and Gardening. I noticed the last review that was written was several years ago, and wanted to ensure everyone this book is still just as valuable today as it was in 1991 when it was released.

I use it several times a season. In many cases, Neil is more accurate than alot of the nursery's around the DFW/Texas area. At least it gives me a great deal of knowledge prior to going into a nursery to have a clue what they are talking about.

I have used it, and still do to determine what may be wrong with my grass or other vegetation. This book is not only useful in its text and the clear way that Neil Sperry explains things, but he also shows either Black and White or better, COLOR pictures of what he is talking about. I am easily able to compare my issue with those pictures in his book and see EXACTLY what I need to know or do.

If you live in Texas and have a yard (whether it be a Massive yard, or a flower box on the stairwell of your Apartment building), this book is for you!!!