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This is week two of the "Tour de Hibiscus," featuring great choices for our Mississippi gardens and landscapes. I don't know any home gardener who can resist the colorful flowers of Cajun hibiscus plants, with equally colorful names like Hoochie Papa, Peppermint Patty and Crawfish Pie.

Extensive flooding in the Mississippi Delta is pushing animals out of their comfort zones and creating stressful conditions as they just try to survive. Animals that can move ahead of the floodwaters will be concentrated on higher ground, potentially creating complications and conflict.

Red snapper suffered a population decline in Gulf Coast waters in the 1900s because of overfishing, but anglers today report they simply cannot avoid them, even when fishing for other species.

To help confront mental health issues facing the nation today, the Mississippi State University Extension Service is offering unique first aid training to all its employees.

One of the plant groups I love to grow in my home landscape is the hibiscus. To that end, I'm going to dedicate the next several columns to different options of these beautiful flowering shrubs that are available for the home gardener

Since the downfall of the housing market in 2007 and the subsequent recession, stumpage prices have fallen for every sector of the pine forestry market for pulpwood, chip-and-saw and sawtimber.

Corn producers rushed to finish planting -- or replanting -- as much as sunny weather has allowed so far in May.

JACKSON, Miss. -- Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant named May 14, 2019, a day to recognize 50 years of successful programing by the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, or EFNEP.

A good night's sleep is important for everyone, but the true benefits of a restful night for people's minds and health is sometimes misunderstood and underappreciated.

Floral enthusiasts can learn how to make a basic floral arrangement in the Sweet Mississippi Flower Bowl workshops this summer.

Last week, I had the pleasure of being the kick-starter speaker for the Mississippi Master Gardener State Conference. My wide-ranging presentation included some of my recommendations of sure-fire, must-have plants for your landscape and garden, all Mississippi Medallion plants.
 

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.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Spring is a great time of year to enjoy new beginnings, and flowers and leaves are not the only signs of new life. Plenty of food and warmer weather make this the ideal time for wildlife to mate and raise their offspring.

The young, formative years are perfect for learning and developing, and baby animals are no different from baby humans in this regard. Important life skills need to be mastered while individuals are young if they are going to be able to survive in a harsh world. Even innate or natural skills often must be mastered through practice.

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.

Producers will have an opportunity to tour a certified organic farm and receive training on several topics related to agriculture management during a field day.

One group of landscape plants that is really starting to take off with its summer show is the lantana. These popular landscape plants are available in a dizzying variety of sizes and colors.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Climate change is a political trigger; simply mentioning it leads to arguments between colleagues, families and friends. Many arguments are reasonable discussions on which actions or inactions are best for the economy, society or the environment. That is how politics works.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve found myself joining home gardeners everywhere in planting more plants to attract pollinators.

In fact, along with being a stop on the Rosalyn Carter Butterfly Trail, my home landscape is also registered with the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge, which has the goal of registering 1 million pollinator gardens. If you’d like to register your garden, go to http://millionpollinatorgardens.org for more information.

VERONA, Miss. – Before loblolly pines became the premier pine species in the United States, Mississippi native shortleaf pines offered some outstanding traits that are still valuable today.

STONEVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University agricultural leaders looked far and wide to find a new specialist to guide farmers with irrigation concerns.

Drew Gholson started April 1 as an assistant professor and the irrigation specialist with the MSU Delta Research and Extension Center and the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer Water Center. He replaces Jason Krutz, who was promoted to lead the Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute.