Southern Gardening

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

No plant can impart the grace, elegance and lushness for the poolside or patio like a fern. While I love the perennial ferns that we grow with such ease in the garden, I also have a passion for the more tropical ferns.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

When you look at a tropical hibiscus blooming on your deck or patio, it is easy to conjure up visions of the Caribbean and the sounds of a steel band. It's funny how plants can mentally take us where neither our budget nor time will allow. Can a perennial hibiscus do the same? You bet your bottom dollar!

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

One of the most striking vines for the southern landscape is about to get a new infusion of promotion thanks to the debut of two new varieties. Sunny Orange Wonder and Sunny Lemon Star are two new black-eyed Susan vines (Thunbergia alata) being introduced by BallFlora Plant that will hopefully be making their way to garden centers next spring.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The future is looking bright for the cleome, one of the old time favorites in the Southern cottage garden. Unbelievably, there are new varieties of cleome poised to make their debut.

Cleome, sometimes called spider flower or spider plant, is native to several South American countries. Botanically speaking, it is known as Cleome hassleriana and is in the caper family. The capers we eat are known as Capparis.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Crape myrtles are starting to bloom all over the South, and it's not hard to see why they are the most popular summer flowering tree. Many gardeners mistakenly think they are native to this area, but Europeans discovered the Southeast Asia natives around 1750 and early settlers brought them to this country.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Many gardeners want plants that will bloom all summer right up until fall. The first option always seems to be New Gold lantana. Believe it or not, there is a tropical vine that will bloom until the first freeze as well. It is called Brazilian Jasmine, or Mandevilla.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Gardeners everywhere seem to be searching out vines for that special fence, trellis or arbor. The passionflower, one of my favorites, is not only one of the most beautiful and exotic blooms in the world, but the fruit also yields one of the favorite flavors in tropical fruit juices.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The firebush, known as hummingbird bush and scarlet bush, is a Texas Superstar plant that would qualify in Mississippi as well. The Texas Superstar designation is similar to our Mississippi Medallion award.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

As you drive down Mississippi's highways and by-ways, don't lament that we don't fare well with blue bonnets, because this year our own wild phlox, coreopsis, Queen Anne's lace and Indian Pinks have been as pretty as a painting.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

With spring bedding plant season in full swing, many gardeners are faced with trying to add beds of color to shady areas of the yard. There are a lot more choices than most gardeners realize.

The first plants to consider for these areas have to be impatiens. Impatiens are impressive with their vibrant colors that can yield tremendous floral displays from now until fall if watered thoroughly throughout the summer.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Sages or salvias represent some of Mississippi's finest plants for the perennial garden, or for those who are seeking the cottage garden look. Their future looks even brighter based on Mississippi State University trials.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center 

Purple coneflowers, known botanically as Echinacea, may be named after a hedgehog or a sea urchin, but these wonderful Mississippi natives are one of my favorite perennials.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Butterflies, hummingbirds and gardeners will love the Mississippi Medallion award-winning Butterfly pentas. This group, or series, of herbaceous plants proved almost conclusively that butterflies not only have a unique flying ability but also an underrated intelligence. Apparently, butterflies can read.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The tears rolled down my cheeks, and my lips felt singed and blistered as I ate what I thought was the most wonderful chicken in existence. I may have muttered something like "it hurt so good." This happened at a beach side restaurant in Negril, Jamaica. The street vendor in the town of Gosier on the French Island of Guadeloupe, however, equaled the experience with his own scorching version.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

If the varieties Aztec, Babylon and Tukana don't ring a bell with you, they should. These are among the best new verbenas that will be in the market this spring. If you look around now, you will see verbenas stealing the show in many flowerbeds.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Landscapers and homeowners are always looking for what is new and outstanding in shrub selection, and this year's Mississippi Medallion winner fits that category. The plant is the Burgundy Loropetalum.

This is a great new shrub in the witch hazel family. You might ask yourself, wasn't there a white-flowered loropetalum? There is, and at the risk of offending either nurserymen or gardeners who have them, I will say I have never seen one that I thought was attractive.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

If I had a singing voice, I might do a few bars of the Hallelujah Chorus. The fourth Mississippi Garden and Patio Show was a huge success, but even better was the fact that the native azaleas had to be among the hottest plants getting carried out of the buildings.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Planning, growing and maintaining beautiful gardens is not always an easy task. Gardeners who rely on expert advice typically have the prettiest, most successful gardens, but finding that expert advice can be difficult during the spring rush using traditional sources such as local nurseries, catalogs and books.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

An outstanding feather reed grass variety named Karl Foerster is the Perennial Plant of the Year, according to the Perennial Plant Association.

This Perennial Plant of the Year will work well in Mississippi, too. As a highly acclaimed cultivar, Karl Foerster is one of the most versatile, attractive and low maintenance ornamental grasses around. The deep green, shiny foliage appears in early spring and lasts until early winter.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

All landscapes reach a point where they need a little re-engineering. This year's storms have created problems across the state that will require repair efforts for years to come.

Re-engineering is a popular word today. Corporations use to describe changes they are making in their market focus or their corporate structure. Re-engineering basically means looking at where you are and assessing how you can capitalize on what you have.