Neil Sperry is a Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 gardening

Gardening

Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...

 and horticulture

Horticulture

Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...

 expert known for his books, magazine, radio program, and annual gardening show. Sperry was born and raised in College Station, Texas

College Station, Texas

College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...

 where he graduated A&M Consolidated High School

A&M Consolidated High School

A&M Consolidated High School is a four-year public high school consisting of grades 9–12 located in College Station, Texas and is part of the College Station Independent School District.The family housing of Texas A&M University is zoned to this school....

 as Salutatorian

Salutatorian

Salutatorian is an academic title given, in the United States and Canada, to the second highest graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is traditionally based on grade point average and number of credits taken, but...

 and Student Body President

Student body president

The President of the Student Government is the highest ranking officer of a student government or student union association on the high school, college, or university level...

. He attended Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...

 and earned horticulture degrees from Ohio State University

Ohio State University

The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...

. He married his wife Lynn in 1967, and they now live in McKinney, Texas

McKinney, Texas

McKinney is a city in and the county seat of Collin County, Texas, United States, and the second in population to Plano. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 131,117 The Census Bureau listed McKinney as the nation's fastest growing city from 2000 to 2003 and again in...

.

While in high school and at Texas A&M University he owned and operated a nursery. From 1970 to 1977, he worked as a Horticulture Specialist for the Texas Cooperative Extension

Texas Cooperative Extension

Texas AgriLife Extension Service was established in 1914 after the passing of the Smith-Lever Act and in conjunction with Texas A&M University. Originally named Texas Agricultural Extension Service, then later Texas Cooperative Extension, the name Texas AgriLife Extension Service was adopted on...

.

Neil Sperry hosted a radio show on Dallas station KRLD 1080-AM for over thirty years. On his February 13, 2010 broadcast, Sperry informed his audience that KRLD was exercising a 180 day opt-out clause in their contract. His broadcasting there ended in summer 2010. He now hosts a show on WBAP.

Publications

• Neil Sperry's Complete Guide to Texas Gardening (ISBN 978-0878337996), "the 4th best-selling gardening hardback in American history."
• 1001 Most Asked Texas Gardening Questions (ISBN 978-1565302297)
• Complete Guide to Texas Gardening: Landscapes, Lawns, Fruit, and Vegetables (ASIN
  Amazon Standard Identification Number
  The Amazon Standard Identification Number is a unique identification number assigned by Amazon.com and its partners for product identification within the Amazon.com organization. Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.it, Amazon.co.jp, Amazon.cn, and Amazon.es also use ASINs.ASINs...
  
   B000MAMD7G)
• Gardening GreenBook Just For Texas (ASIN B000O7Y9ZG)
• Neil Sperry's Gardening GreenBook (ASIN B000O825ZQ)
• Neil Sperry's Texas Gardening (ASIN B0017GX06W)
• Gardens magazine (1987-date)

Radio

• Texas Gardening (1980-date), a paid-programming weekly talk-show on KRLD and 60 other radio stations. On July 10, 2010, his talk show on KRLD moved to WBAP. Neil "the wet dolphin" Sperry broadcasted 1,573 weekends during his tenure at KRLD.

Recognition

• American Garden Communicator of the Year (American Association of Nurserymen)
• American Garden Communicator of the Year (United States Land Grant Universities)
• Man of the Year in Texas Agriculture (The Texas Cooperative Extension of Texas A&M)
• Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame, inducted October 18, 2003.
• Volunteers of the Year, McKinney
• McKinney Citizen of the Year, 2003

• Collin County Living Legends, 2007

Charitable Work

• Avenues Counseling Center past board president
• Serenity High School
  Serenity High School
  Serenity High School is the oldest substance-abuse recovery public high school in Texas. It was founded in 1999 as a partnership between the McKinney Independent School District and the Avenues Counseling Center in McKinney, Texas, and serves several school districts in and around Collin County,...
  
   advisory board
• Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney, chair
• Denton State School Chair, Volunteer Services Council board

External links

• Neil Sperry's website