MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Jackson Garden and Patio Show March 11-13 is an opportunity for area gardeners and industry professionals to take a comprehensive look at what's new in the landscape.

The garden and patio show at the Agriculture and Industry Buildings on the State Fairgrounds in Jackson is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 11, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 12 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 13. Admission is $6 for adults and free for children 10 and under. There is no charge for parking.

Displays feature gardening equipment and accessories, ponds, statues, ironwork, pottery, and bedding plants, ferns, shrubs, trees and tropicals. Non-stop gardening seminars feature Mississippi State University and other industry leaders. Topics include landscape color, backyard birding, water and butterfly gardening, pruning and intensive gardening, and outdoor rooms.

A booth provided by the MSU Extension Service will offer soil testing, pest and disease diagnosis and control experts, and other gardening information.

The show had been just a day and a half in recent years, but attendance of nearly 10,000 encouraged show organizers to spread the event over three days. The Jackson Garden and Patio Show is a partnership between MSU, the Clarion Ledger, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, and the Mississippi Nursery and Landscape Association.

A sister event, the Gulf Coast Garden and Patio Show, is being held Feb. 25-27 at the Coast Coliseum in Biloxi.