News Filed Under Flower Gardens

Mabel Murphree’s Tupelo garden has an impressive variety of plants, but what really caught my attention when I visited were her purple blooms.

Amid the bustle of everyday life in Tupelo, Mississippi lies a hidden gem -- Dale Smith’s backyard woodland garden. I recently had the pleasure of touring this garden where beautiful plants thrive around every corner.

Last week, I told you about the spring-blooming native plants I saw during a recent visit to the backyard gardens of Sarah Young in Tupelo. The benefits of this garden filled with native and non-native plants extends beyond the beauty of the plants themselves.

Gardening is a form of physical activity. Digging, planting, weeding and harvesting can contribute to improved flexibility, strength and endurance. It is a great way to stay active without feeling like you’re exercising.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting my friend Sarah Young’s gardens in Tupelo, and I enjoyed her stunning collection of plants that are perfect for Southern gardens.

During my visit, I was amazed by her spring-blooming native plants, especially the native azaleas which were in full bloom. Their white, pink, yellow and orange flowers were absolutely breathtaking.

I recently visited with the DeSoto County Master Gardeners and had the opportunity to tour their learning garden/arboretum at the DeSoto County Extension office in Hernando. Some of the plants, trees and shrubs were starting to come out of their winter slumber, showing some beautiful spring color. I noticed that the arboretum area was adorned with a Possumhaw viburnum in full bloom.

During my Southern Gardening travels across Mississippi, I have observed how plants grow differently across the state. For example, several perennial plants that typically grow in some areas act as annuals in other areas due to colder winter temperatures.

By Chloe Evans

If you love the idea of adding beautiful landscape features to your yard but don’t know where to start, container gardening is an easy way to make a statement and limit costs! To make it even easier, we asked the host of Southern Gardening, Dr. Eddie Smith, to curate a variety of container gardening combos for you to choose from. 

Spring is my favorite season of the year as I enjoy the return of warmer days and the colorful blooms in gardens and landscapes. Among the many flowering plants that grace the spring landscape, petunias stand out as one of my favorites.

As nature bursts into life, now is the perfect time to visit your local nurseries and garden centers to acquire bright and colorful petunias.

I have always been amazed at the diversity of colorful coleus plants. Their foliage offers a dazzling array of impressive hues and patterns. The most remarkable aspect of coleus plants is undoubtedly their vibrant leaves.

With their tall stems that proudly display a colorful array of flowers, calibrachoa hybrid plants are some of my favorite annual plants to use in the landscape. Their slender stems reach out gracefully, adorned with small, trumpet-shaped blooms that come in hues from fiery reds to soothing blues, and every shade in between. Each delicate flower carries its own unique pattern, adding an enchanting touch to their overall appearance.

Gardening, to me, is not just about planting pretty flowers or lush foliage. It’s about creating scenes, telling stories and evoking emotions. One way I like to add intrigue and drama to an outdoor space is by incorporating thriller plants. These captivating specimens serve as focal points and bring mystery and excitement to a landscape.

If you have not picked up on it yet, I love variegated plants. Let me dive a bit deeper into why I’m so passionate about them. These beauties are like the rock stars of the plant world, and let me tell you, they know how to steal the show.

If you’re considering adding some vibrant color to your landscape, bougainvillea might be the perfect choice. Mississippi’s climate can be quite different from the tropical regions where bougainvillea is native, but with a little care and attention, you can successfully grow these stunning plants.

In the realm of gardening, few plants offer the versatility, resilience and sheer beauty of sedums. It’s no wonder why I’ve seen the popularity of these remarkable succulents grow.
These remarkable plants, also known as stonecrops, have captivated the hearts of gardeners and plant enthusiasts around the world for centuries. If you are not familiar with these beauties, I hope you will be intrigued enough to try them yourself.

Spring is right around the corner, and you probably are getting an itch to start setting out plants in your landscape and garden. If you’re new to gardening, you’ll need to know what plant hardiness zone you’re in.

If you wonder what plants can be used in shaded areas of your landscape, I suggest that hardy and low-maintenance ferns are a great choice for adding lush, green foliage. Ferns come in a variety of sizes, textures and colors that can add visual interest to darker areas of the landscape. While we can grow lots of ferns in hanging baskets and pots, picking the ones to plant in the ground is a bit trickier.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Many of the practices associated with sustainability, such as recycling, can be extended into the garden. Composting is a way to help reduce organic waste that goes to the landfill and helps feed gardens. These organic materials, which include grass clippings, leaves and other yard wastes, account for about 30% of trash that goes to the landfill.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting Coach’s Cedar Creek Farm in Lucedale where I was awestruck by the brightly blooming Amstel begonias growing in one of their greenhouses.
These begonias, also known as Rieger begonias, are a unique blend of tuberous and wax begonias.

I recently had the pleasure of exploring Mr. Jim Smelley’s impressive camellia collection with some of the Pearl River County Master Gardeners. I began thinking about how these beautiful plants with their gorgeous blooms could be the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for plant lovers.

Did you know there is a tree that produces fruit in late winter and early spring? That tree is the loquat, and as I drive around Mississippi on these cold winter days, I have noticed many of them in gardens and landscapes. With their evergreen elegance and delectable fruit, loquat trees add a bit of subtropical charm.