Southern Gardening from 2007
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
Magilla perilla became an instant hit a few years back probably because of its funny name that appealed to a generation who grew up watching Magilla Gorilla. It has since reached legendary status because it is a tough-as-nails plant for sun or shade that works in any style garden.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
Orange is a color in the garden that cannot be overlooked. It just reaches out and grabs you. I recently wrote about blue, the complementary or opposite color for orange, and said this was a marriage made in gardening heaven. Whether you want a marriage or not, orange can stand and dazzle all on its own.
On a color wheel, orange is between yellow and red and is the hallmark color of the hot side of the wheel.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
The word chaos is about to have a new meaning in landscapes. Webster's dictionary defines “chaos” as extreme confusion or disorder. This may describe your garden. In my case, it describes my office and garage. You will think differently about chaos after seeing Pink Chaos coleus.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
We can complain about the lack of rainfall this year, but we can't complain about the beautiful and fragrant petunias that are blooming everywhere we turn.
Even though they all have been photogenic, this year's All-America Selections winner Opera Supreme Pink Morn is catching my eye.
If you knew how hard it was for a new petunia or petunia series to get established in today's competitive market, then you would know how special the Opera Supreme Pink Morn is.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
Whenever someone tells me they have quite a bit of shade and want to plant flowers, I always direct them to impatiens. These tropical-looking flowers from East Africa are literally unbeatable for season-long color.
Long before we had all of the dazzling choices today, our grandparents and great-grandparents no doubt felt the same exuberance for their version called Touch-Me-Not.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
Lime green is a hot, hot, hot color in the garden, and it won't be long until the new Limón talinum will help soothe the quest for this jewel color.
Botanically speaking, Limón talinum is Talinum paniculatum and is in the portulaca family. It is native to the West Indies and Central America and has common names of Fameflower and Jewels-of-Opar.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
Gardeners looking for the perfect hanging-basket plant are finding an outstanding option in the new Bonfire begonia, which produces hundreds of fiery, scarlet-orange flowers. Bonfire brings incredible beauty and a rugged nature.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
Lime continues to rock the garden world. Recently, I have been enjoying a new iresine, or beefsteak plant, called Blazin' Lime.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
The Imperial Taro is one of my favorite cold-hardy elephant ears for lending that lush Caribbean look to the garden. Most elephant ears are thriving this year in a summer that started off dry and now has followed with almost daily monsoons.
The Imperial Taro can be found under a couple of other names like Illustris and Antiquorum. Most catalogs refer to them scientifically as Colocasia antiquorum var. Illustris. However, the real botanical name is Colocasia esculenta.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
Most gardeners think spring is the best time for gardening, but if you haven't tried a fall garden, consider putting one in now. These can be the best gardens all year.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
It was a hoot watching gardeners fight over the papyrus plants at this year's garden and patio shows. Botanically speaking, the papyrus is Cyperus papyrus.
If you remember your elementary history, this plant is native to Egypt and was used for making papyrus sheets for writing. Our word “paper” comes from “papyrus.” It is a close relative of the umbrella palm Cyperus alternifolius, which is from Madagascar.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
I have fallen head over heels in love with Chocolate Mint, a new coleus making its debut this year.
The catalog refers to the leaves as having a chocolate-colored line with mint-green margins, but to me the leaves are a dark mahogany, and the margins are a dark lime-green color.
Chocolate Mint is made for the shade or filtered-light area of the garden. I first thought the plant could not take our intense heat and humidity, but it is a real trooper once acclimated.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
Dancing Flame salvia lives up to its name in a couple of ways. This spectacular variegated salvia with scarlet flowers mesmerizes like a fire dancing at night.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
My recent stroll through the display gardens at Mississippi State University's Truck Crops Experiment Station brought a few pleasant surprises. The biggest was the Persian Shield.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
Beyond Paradise leads a parade of new copper plants finding its way to garden centers across the country. You will love the plant for its brilliantly variegated, colorful leaves.
At the end of the summer, when little else is looking good, Beyond Paradise will be a beacon in the garden, garnering admiration from those who pass by your home.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
Angelface Dark Violet angelonia came out this year and caused a stir with its unique color. It is by far the darkest angelonia we've seen in the market. It is also vigorous, sending up a bounty of wonderfully spiky flowers that are so welcome in the garden.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
If there were a color that represented happiness in the garden, it would have to be yellow. One of the three primary colors, it has the power to evoke hope and excitement.
When the forsythia breaks forth in the early spring, it not only catches your eye but it also invigorates your step. You know winter is over and a new season has been born. As we head into early fall, the dark yellow goldenrods make our roadways photogenic.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
After the long, hot summer, you almost feel like celebrating fall's arrival. I am already seeing neighbors searching out pumpkins and doing a little fall decorating. The feeling of fall and festivals is in the air.
To celebrate, consider a little neighborhood decoration that just might catch on from one end of the street to the other. At one of my previous homes, I lived on a cul-de-sac that always had children playing, but it also had two unsightly storm drains.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center
The performance of Angel's Trumpets at Mississippi State University's Truck Crops Experiment Station in Crystal Springs recently had me mesmerized. I predict they will do the same for the many visitors expected at the Fall Flower and Garden Fest on Oct. 12 and 13.
These Angel's Trumpets, which are yellow-gold and rich pink, look exotic and tropical. They have been coming back for years without much attention. They really complete the tropical section in any garden.