Neil Sperry

I purchased this book a few years back, around 2014 or so. This is a beautiful book with nice silky pages. It is more than just about gardening. This book provides information on starting a garden, how to plan landscaping, info on trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers, Texas lawns, etc... The problem? It really assumes you will be using insecticides and herbicides to keep weeds and insects out of your garden. Not happening here! I promised God I would do my best to take care of the ground he show more has loaned to me. For me, that means no use of harmful chemicals on this property to grow my food or to control weeds, which I absolutely love on this raw property. Did you know wild flowers are considered noxious weeds on home lawns? Not to me! show less

This is a good basic reference to Texas gardening -- particularly the extensive encyclopedias of flowers, plants, shrubs, and trees, complete with photographs, identifying traits, and general care. This second edition was published in 1991 and could probably stand an update to incorporate some more organic and water-conscious gardening techniques. Still, there is a lot to love here and I could see myself buying a reference copy of this book someday as my gardening aspirations grow.

[full show more review: http://spacebeer.blogspot.com/2012/12/neil-sperrys-complete-guide-to-texas.html ] show less

So informative a great reference book to keep on hand

An important resource book for any Texas gardener.