Smart Landscapes Videos
Roof Garden
Here’s a neat gardening challenge for you: Growing plants -- on a roof. Roof gardens have actually been
around for centuries, and they do a lot of good things for the environment, including reducing flooding, reducing urban heat temperatures, increasing building energy efficiency,
and a host of other benefits.
In this video, we will show you how we recently constructed a small green roof over the porch area of an outdoor storage shed.
Drought-Tolerant Landscapes
If watering your garden during the hot dry summer months is a problem, you might consider planting a drought-tolerant garden next year. Drought-tolerant landscapes, also known as xeriscapes, feature plants that need little water.
In this video we’ll show you how to make a xeriscape garden, to help get rid of the sparsely growing lawn In this Mississippi front yard.
Pollinator Gardens
How to Make a Bug Hotel
This video will show you how to make a bug hotel. Bug hotels, like these, will encourage good garden bugs to winter in the garden by giving them a place to hibernate and nest over the colder months, so they’ll ready to help in the spring.
Toad Abodes
Toads are a familiar sight in many Mississippi landscapes, and can be encouraged to take up residence in your garden by creating miniature houses or “toad abodes.” These beneficial amphibians are a welcome addition to the home garden as they eat a wide variety of insects and small invertebrates.
Publications
News
Southern Gardening host, columnist and Mississippi State University Extension Service horticulturist Gary Bachman has been elected a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science.
Urbanization and agricultural pressures are decreasing natural habitats for wildlife, but Mississippians can take steps to make their own landscapes wildlife-friendly.
Bob Brzuszek, Mississippi State University Extension Service professor of landscape architecture, said residential areas play an important role in conserving wildlife when carefully planned.
It’s officially spring! The temperatures are finally starting to warm up after a cold and wet winter. Gardening is the perfect excuse to spend some much-needed time outside. Grab your gardening tools—there’s a lot to be done! (Photo by Michaela Parker)
A smart landscape can play a key role in efficiently heating and cooling homes while reducing energy costs.
A well-designed landscape can subtly slow down and filter excess water, an important job for Mississippi gardens.
