A great weekend to catch up on gardening

We’re a little more mobile as of this week, but many are still sticking fairly close to home.

That gives us a good chance to tend to some outdoor projects we’ve been putting off for a long time – maybe for years. Temperatures are still great, so this could be your weekend.

Let me outline a few of your options.

Starting new turfgrass. This is the best time of the entire calendar year. Most of us opt for bermuda, St. Augustine or zoysia turf, and those are all warm-season grasses. Late May finds the soil warm enough for them to root quickly, and yet it’s cool enough that they won’t suffer from the intense mid-summer sun as they get their new start.

Checking the sprinklers. If you have an automatic system, odds are that parts of it sustained damage over the winter or became blocked by new shrub, groundcover or turf growth this spring. Put it through its paces this weekend to be sure all stations are operating properly. If they’re not, either repair them yourself or hire a licensed turf irrigator to do the work for you.

Adding in color. It’s time to replace worn out winter annuals with heat-tolerant types. Your local independent retail garden center will be able to steer you toward dozens of great choices for sun or shade in containers or beds. You can add sizzle that will last clear up until frost.

Speaking of pots. We have so many wonderful options in containers for our patio and entryway gardens these days. Visit any well-stocked local garden center and spend a little time dreaming of all you could do with them. Pick out a grouping of pots that looks good together. Set plants that you like in, or alongside, them. They can transform a rather plain patio or courtyard into a landscaped jewel in just a few minutes. So can hanging pots from a wall or hanging baskets suspended from large branches of trees. All of this can be accomplished in just a couple of hours.

Create a new path or walk. It’s not as difficult as you might think. Temporary, but very functional surfaces you might consider include finely ground pine bark mulch or decomposed granite. Both do best on flat surfaces where they won’t erode. Or you can lay interlocking concrete pavers or steppingstones on a bed of packed sand very easily. Use an inexpensive line level to keep it on grade. Flagstone walks, by comparison, may require the help of a veteran landscape contractor to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. What seems easy at first often turns out to be quite a challenging task in the long run.

Bring the sounds of water to your landscape. It could be something as elaborate as a backyard water garden complete with fish, or, if you want to complete it this weekend, perhaps it’s just a “plug-and-play” recirculating fountain. Either way, nothing cools a hot Texas landscape any better than the sounds of running water. And it introduces an entire new group of plants into your repertoire.

Invite birds into your surroundings. There’s something magical about having colorful, active birds flying about in your gardens. The fountain will bring in a bunch, but so will feeders. Texas is on the migratory path for many species of birds, and those that eat seeds from your feeders or fresh fruit from your shrubs are quite likely to stop by your gardens as they travel.

Hummingbirds abound. This is a great time, for example, to place hummingbird feeders out in your landscape. Have at least two feeders, and space them 15 or 20 feet apart. Watch the birds fly back and forth, sometimes fiercely defending their territories. Remember to keep the feeders clean. Mix four parts of water to one part of sugar. No red dye. Change the solution every couple of days when it’s warm.

Perhaps a Memorial Day remembrance. There is no limit to the gardening things you could do to remember somebody special. If it’s for a member of the military or first responder who stood strong under adversity, a long-lived tree would be perfect. And for most of us, that would be an oak. Perhaps a live oak, Shumard red oak, chinquapin oak or bur oak.

Perhaps it’s for a mom or dad who taught you how to garden, in which case you might plant heirloom bulbs you know were favorites in their gardens way back then. My dad took me to daylily farms. He taught me about Texas mountain laurels.

Or it could be your favorite book given in memory to your local public library, or a special tree given in memory at a local botanic garden. Maybe a scholarship donation to a local education foundation to help a student wanting to study horticulture in college. There really are all kinds of great things you could do.

The main message is to have a good and respectful Memorial Day weekend. Stay safe and stay distant. Wear your sun screen, and have fun out in your garden!

You can hear Neil Sperry on KLIF 570AM on Saturday afternoons 1-3 pm and on WBAP 820AM Sunday mornings 8-10 am. Join him at www.neilsperry.com and follow him on Facebook.