Neil Sperry's Complete Guide to Texas Gardening [Hardcover]

Neil Sperry (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0878337997 | ISBN-13: 978-0878337996 | Publication Date: April 1, 1991 | Edition: 2nd Edition

#4 on Publishers Weekly's Bestselling Gardening Books list! This new, completely revised edition has over 500 new photographs, 400 new illustrations, 400 new plants and trees, the latest pest control recommendations, fruit and vegetable recommendations, new tips and plants specifically for Southern Texas, plus everything in the first edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...Neil Sperry is the undisputed dean of of Texas gardening....Neil has established himself as Texas' most prominent expert on gardening. (Liberty Gazette )

One of the more comprehensive nooks containing plants for Pklahoma is Neil Sperry's Complete Guide to Texas Gardening . This excellect reference has colored pictures of trees... (Bill Geer Oklahoman )

One of the more comprehensive nooks containing plants for Pklahoma is Neil Sperry's Complete Guide to Texas Gardening . This excellect reference has colored pictures of trees... (Bill Geer Oklahoman )

Highly rated by all our experts for its completeness, photos, drawings and wide variety of topics... (Dallas Morning News )

Serious gardeners pluck Neil Sperry's Complete Guid to Texas Gardening off the shelves at local bookstores almost as soon as the books are put there. (Christi Mayes Waco Tribune-Herald )

Serious gardeners pluck Neil Sperry's Complete Guid to Texas Gardening off the shelves at local bookstores almost as soon as the books are put there. (Christi Mayes Waco Tribune-Herald )

Neil Sperry is regarded as Texas' foremost gardening authority. The book will be an indispensable guidde for every gardener. (Canyon Texas News )

If you only have one basic gardening book Neil Sperry's Texas Gardening is the one to have. (Dr. Calvin finch Austin American-Statesman )

If you only have one basic gardening book Neil Sperry's Texas Gardening is the one to have. (Dr. Calvin finch Austin American-Statesman )

The best, maybe the only book for beginners and newcomers to Texas. This book is the place to start. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram )

Covers everything you need to know about making things around you grow in your area of the state. (Austin Homes and Gardens )

Comprehensive, thorough, well-written and thoughtfully organized...beautifully illustrated...I would recommend this book heartily to any serious gardener. (Corpus Christi Caller Times )

Neil Sperry is the man to trust for all your gardening needs. The section on Texas lawn is enough to start your fantasies dancing. (Louise Gregg Times Record News )

...everything you need to know about regional gardening is here... (Gilbert Onderdonk Fort Worth Star-Telegram )

The beginning horticulturist will be illuminated by the abundance of helful visual aids provided...The visuals coupled with the straightforward and easy-to-understand text provide an encyclopedic guide to lawn that will make your neighbors turn green. This book has plenty of heart. For anyone who is determined to create a suburban oasis Neil Sperry's Guide to Texasw Gardening will be as valuable a tool as a weed whacker. (Bruce Felps Weekender )

The beginning horticulturist will be illuminated by the abundance of helful visual aids provided...The visuals coupled with the straightforward and easy-to-understand text provide an encyclopedic guide to lawn that will make your neighbors turn green. This book has plenty of heart. For anyone who is determined to create a suburban oasis Neil Sperry's Guide to Texasw Gardening will be as valuable a tool as a weed whacker. (Bruce Felps Weekender )

...the updated version of Sperry's first book is a must-buy for gardeners who care about their landscaping. (Valerie Ullman Avery Lubbock Avalanche Journal )

He covers trees, shrubs and vines and tells you everything you need to know about flowers—both annuals and perennials. (Longview News-Journal )

This volume, often called the bible of Texas gardening, is an ideal choice for neophyte gardeners and for those new to growing in the Lone Star state. (San Antonio Express-News )

Long referred to as "the bible of Texas gardening," Neil Sperry's volume is an essential for gardeners in our area. (The Arboretum News )

... it is difficult to imagine anything not covered in what is Texas' most comprehensive garden guide ... (The North San Antonio Times )

Yes, the green thumb of Dallas has done it again .... (D Magazine )

The basic advice [Sperry] gives his Texas audience is sound guidance for the rest of the nation .... (Christian Science Monitor )

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing; 2nd Edition edition (April 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878337997
• ISBN-13: 978-0878337996
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #79 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Reference

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Own for Texas Gardeners, August 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Neil Sperry's Complete Guide to Texas Gardening (Hardcover)

Texas is a different planet, and Neil Sperry has charted it. No other gardening book in the world prepares someone for the extreme climates, the hideous excuse for soil, and the vast assortment of herbaceous critters that exist in this state. You have to have this book to succeed in landscaping endeavors. The pages on my copy are well-worn. It is an excellent, easy-to-use reference bible. A bargain at twice the price.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book, March 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Neil Sperry's Complete Guide to Texas Gardening (Hardcover)

If you live in Texas and do anything with your lawn or garden, BUY this book immediately.

Neil covers lawns, perennials, annuals, vegetables, trees, and shrubs in an exhaustive, comprehensive format. Full color pictures guide you through the basics of gardening these types, water and fertilizer, recommendations on your part of Texas, along with summaries of each plant.

If the shrub/plant has pest problems, fungus issues or is high maintenance, Neil lays it out in a no B.S. manner that's both easy to read and handily referenced later. Every plant has a color picture associated, which helps a lot.

The ONLY thing missing in his book would be house plants, but purchased "The House Plant Expert" for those.

Amazon's price is a steal compared to my local bookstore - WELL WORTH the twenty-five bucks. It's a big, hardbound, monster-sized book that you'll constantly be referring back to again and again!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best gardening book for the Texas Gardener bar none!, March 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Neil Sperry's Complete Guide to Texas Gardening (Hardcover)

This book is wonderfully informative. It has hundreds of color pictures to help you choose plants and covers the ones that are native or adapt very well to our climate. Don't be thinking you can check it out at the library. I live in Austin and they have dozens of copies but they are checked out at every branch. IT'S A MUST HAVE!