Neil Sperry

Next week, our church is offering a great opportunity for people in our congregation and community. Neil Sperry, a man whose name is synonymous with Texas gardening, will be speaking in Celebration Hall on Wednesday, February 23, at 7 p.m. His topic is “Ten Ways to Save Time, Money and Energy in Landscaping.” Mr. Sperry is donating his normal honorarium so that a love offering can benefit our church’s Spiritual Landscaping Initiative.

Who is Neil Sperry?

If you are a gardener, you know Neil Sperry. His book, Neil Sperry’s Complete Guide to Texas Gardening, is the 4th best selling gardening hardback in American history and is sitting, well-used on my bookshelf at home. He is on the radio every weekend on WBAP, 820 AM and 96.7 FM and is a featured garden columnist in the Ft. Worth Star Telegram, San Antonio Express News as well as 15 other newspapers across the state. He owns and publishes his own, Neil Sperry’s Gardens magazine and annual Texas Gardening calendar. Neil and his wife Lynn have long been leaders in the McKinney community and are charter members of Christ the Servant Lutheran Church in Allen.

What is the Spiritual Landscaping Initiative?

It is our church’s part in being a “Super Sponsor” for the McKinney Crape Myrtle

Trails project. One thousand dollars was donated by one of the members of our church on our behalf and we have committed to plant 200 Crape Myrtles throughout our campus. To date we have planted 92 of the trees (all were generously donated), but they are not planted haphazardly on our property – they are planted in a unique plan that highlights the ministries of our church. Cindy Moreland, Tom Pearce, Kurt Roy and Kathy Stevers, along with Susan Owens from the Crape Myrtle Trails have created the design. Look at the article in the last Pathways Magazine for a full description of the design.

I hope to see you Wednesday night the 23rd to hear Neil share his vast knowledge and experience of Texas gardening. I also hope you will invite your friends to join you.