Southern Gardening

We've all seen it happen, and some of us have even committed it. We try not to stare, but we can't look away. It's just so...well, ugly. It is 'crape murder,' and it's no laughing matter.

Crape murder occurs when crape myrtle trees are pruned to the same point for many years, causing unsightly knots on the trunks. This greatly diminishes the plant's aesthetic appeal and its structural integrity.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, many people start thinking of giving roses to their sweetie, but they often worry that their choice will send the wrong message on this day dedicated to love.

Valentine’s Day has many legends surrounding its origin, but the truth is, no one really knows much about its beginnings. Some say St. Valentine of Rome is the saint associated with this holiday, while others claim it is St. Valentine of Terni. Both died on Feb. 14.

Late January is a great time to get garden beds ready for spring and summer by adding organic matter to help build a healthy soil.

Peat moss and pine bark mixes are commonly added to garden soil to increase organic content, but other materials, such as yard waste and manures, can also be used. Yard wastes and manures generally give favorable results when used with ornamental plants.

Even though it’s cold outside, now is a good time to stroll through your yard with pencil and paper in hand, noting what worked and what didn’t in your landscape last year. Viewing it during the bare-bones winter season will help you see where changes should be made.

Now, I know you’re thinking you’re not a designer, but I say you are. This is your garden, so do what looks pleasing and functional to you. There is a tremendous amount of information on landscape design available in books and on the Internet, but you are the judge of what works for you.

Numerous landscape plants have attractive foliage mixed with colorful berries, but few can match the brilliant luster of a holly.

The striking, dark green leaves of hollies provide a beautiful backdrop for their deep red and orange berries. Another reason these plants are so popular in the landscape is their ability to adapt to environmental conditions.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Mississippi, you are the best, and that makes it extra hard to tell you I have accepted an offer to become vice president for college advancement at Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Ga. 

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

As we ease into 2010 firmly in the grip of winter, it is fun to look at new plants heading our way, and new petunia colors and patterns will stretch our comfort zones.

A new Supertunia by the name of Pretty Much Picasso tops the list of unusual petunias coming this spring. I wasn’t quite sure how to describe its unique color, so I went to the Proven Winners Web site and saw they list the color as “various.” I suppose that’s correct.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Lately I’ve been writing a lot about indoor plants and thought it was time to switch to the outdoors. Then I got a better idea and decided to tell you about the fatsia japonica, a great plant that performs in both places.

The fatsia, also known as Japanese aralia, is one of the most-loved shade garden plants in the South. Large palmate leaves similar to a philodendron make the fatsia at home in the tropical garden.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Poinsettias are terrific and cyclamen are beautiful seasonal plants, but if you want sizzling holiday color and a plant you can enjoy for years, then get yourself a kalanchoe.

This succulent plant has colors so vivid and foliage so tough it can grow in almost desert-like conditions -- yet be one of the best buys for your holiday decorating dollar.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Those of you who have never grown a cyclamen are missing one of the great pleasures in cool-season gardening. The cyclamen is one of the most popular Christmas plants in Europe, but it lost its place on the pedestal to the poinsettia here in the United States. That’s OK because we have room for all Christmas plants.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

You’ve no doubt heard of pansy pals, but as you shop this holiday season, you may want to consider poinsettia partners. Poinsettias are already sold with decorative ribbons, foil liners and greenery for an extra special touch, so why not consider floral partners?

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

When I go to the annual California Pack Trials, it is rare that a poinsettia makes me take the lens cover off my camera. Visions of Grandeur is one that did. It absolutely mesmerized me with its shades of rose pink, cream and yellow.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

No matter where you live in the country, there is a season when snapdragons will absolutely steal the show in your landscape. In zones 7 and warmer, many gardeners plant them in the fall as pansy partners. They are planted in late winter to early spring in colder areas where they give riotous colors almost all summer.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Its fiery yellow, orange and red colors make the Chinese pistache one of the prettiest trees this fall. From coast to coast, horticulturists sing the praises of this tree, and if you plant one or an informal cluster, you, too, will join the chorus.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Ornamental sweet potatoes rule! I just returned from speaking to a group, called Pascagoula Pride, that takes city beautification seriously. As I drove through town, I could not help but admire their effective use of the lime green ornamental sweet potatoes.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Most local garden centers are loaded with fresh bedding plants to give you months of cool-season color and splendor. Pansies, violas, snapdragons, dianthus, flowering kale, cabbage and a host of others are waiting for you to give them a home in your gardens.

Pansies, of course, are the favorites, and rightfully so. You’ll likely be buying 4- to 6-inch transplants that will offer bloom and performance until the high heat of late spring or early summer takes them out.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

In my region, the southern wax myrtle reigns supreme. When I say “my region,” you might think I mean the Deep South, but actually it stretches from Texas to the East Coast and as far north as New Jersey. You could not ask for a better small tree to act as a privacy screen around a porch, patio, deck, or garden bath or to soften harsh walls. Coastal residents are always looking for plants tolerant of salt spray, and wax myrtles are among the best.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

As I was touring the landscape of an Southeastern college, I noticed that everywhere I looked was a native dogwood. I couldn’t help but think to myself, “This dogwood is for the birds.”

My thought was not too far off because this small tree feeds 28 species of birds, including quails and turkeys. Deer and squirrels also love the fruit, making this tree an all-star for those wanting a backyard wildlife habitat.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Gardeners can rejoice since it is pansy-planting time across much of the country. While this is a good thing, the question is always asked, “What do I plant with them?”

One of my favorites to partner with pansies is sweet alyssum. No matter where you live in the country, at some time during the year you can grow both pansies and alyssum together for a magnificent olfactory experience.

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The audience gasped as I gave the pot of mums a big bear hug, thinking I was going to squeeze the life out of it. That was the scene last week when I spoke at a Spirit of Women Conference.

Gardeners know that squeezing mums is normally a recipe for disaster as branches break like crumbling pretzels. But these were Belgian mums, so the hug didn’t hurt them.