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I have to admit most of my gardening life can be summed up by this saying that someone shared with me on social media: “Real gardeners buy at least 10,000 plants in the course of a lifetime without having the least idea where they’ll put any of them when they get home.”

I guess I’m a real gardener. To tell you the truth, I can’t help it when I go to the garden and see all the annual color each season, along with the perennials promising to return to the landscape.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- While a good bargain is always thrilling, safety is the most important thing to consider when shopping online.

Jamie Varner, an instructor for the Mississippi State University Extension Center for Technology Outreach, said it is better to be safe than sorry when shopping on websites.

“Safety is a concern whether we are driving our car or making purchases online,” she said. “Keeping your information secure online requires you to take more time and care, but what you lose in moments, you will make up for with peace of mind.”

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- With spring comes turkey season and the countless hours spent listening for that chill-inducing gobble.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Wild game processors can learn the best food safety practices at a free workshop offered in three different locations.

“Sanitation, Safety and Risk Reduction Practices for Wild Game Processors” will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m.:

PICAYUNE, Miss. -- South Mississippi students will learn details about daily wood use when they visit the Mississippi State University Wood Magic Science Fair on March 31.

MSU Wood Magic will be an attraction at the Crosby Arboretum’s Wildlife Day, a one-day event that draws 200 to 300 participants annually.

Students from kindergarten to the eighth grade will learn all about the significance of wood in their lives. Teachers will receive resource materials and contact information for useful teaching aids.

This past weekend the Garden Extravaganza was held in Jackson, and I have to say I’m feeling really inspired.

There were literally thousands of brightly colored flowering plants all begging to be taken home. Of course, I bought a few flats of calibrachoas (mainly Holy Moly!, which I described in last week’s column) and some new Supertunias.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- As the movement toward buying local food continues to grow, consumers may wonder if this trend is actually benefiting the environment.

A 2011 U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends Survey reported that consumers were motivated to buy local food for a variety of reasons, including freshness, taste, support of the local economy, knowledge of food sources and concern for the environment.

RAYMOND, Miss. -- Beekeeping is hot right now, with numbers of producers steadily increasing in Mississippi and across the U.S.

“Beekeeping continues to grow in astonishing numbers across the country,” said Jeff Harris, bee specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. “Most of that growth is from people who want to do it as a hobby.”

Johnny Thompson, a Philadelphia, Mississippi, beekeeper who raises queens and nucleus colonies, said about half of his customers are new to beekeeping.

CANTON, Miss. -- Canton area residents now have access to an expanded resource and referral center for child care and early education.

Early care and education providers, parents and other residents will be able to use lending library materials, such as books, toys and puzzles, die-cut machines and other instructional resources, while also having access to early child care professionals at the downtown center.

BILOXI, Miss. -- Agricultural producers met with Mississippi State University experts on Feb. 23 at the Coastal Research and Extension Center Commodity Advisory Council meeting.

The meeting is an annual event that brings coastal area producers, industry professionals and MSU personnel together to discuss research and educational priorities for the coming year. Producers converged on the center despite severe weather threats to provide essential input.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Asian lady beetles are known for inviting themselves into houses and other structures during winter to hibernate, but they can be just as much of a nuisance in the spring when they are trying to go back outside.

Soffit and gable vents in home attics are common entry points for the beetles, but they will come in any way they can. Any crack in windows, walls or the sides of doors is a welcome mat.

Now is the time to start planning for the color punch that most gardeners want in the upcoming warm summer season.

This weekend will be the first big opportunity to look at the newest and brightest of the summer color when the Garden Extravaganza garden show kicks off March 18-20 at the Trade Mart in Jackson. Shows like this give home gardeners the opportunity to look at a lot of plants in one convenient location. More and more summer color is starting to show up in the garden centers, so don’t get left behind and having to choose from the leftovers.

LEXINGTON, Miss. -- A May 4 workshop in Lexington, Mississippi, will help landowners, farmers and timber producers branch out and earn extra income from natural resources on their property.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- With proper planning, it does not have to cost extra time and money to provide each family member with half a plate of fruits and vegetables at mealtime.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate recommendation is for half our plates be filled with fruits and vegetables at every meal. The remaining 50 percent of the plate should include protein and grains (often meat and bread). USDA also promotes a serving of dairy.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Most Mississippians know obesity can lead to diabetes, but they may not realize it can also increase risks of stroke, asthma, arthritis and some cancers.

Ginger Cross, an assistant research professor in the Mississippi State University Social Science Research Center, is leading a project designed to promote healthy lifestyles in northeast Mississippi. Key components of the project are awareness and education.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Over the years, a number of felines have lowered their standards enough to share their lives with me, and my life was richer for the experience. I wouldn’t call myself a “cat lady,” but I am definitely a cat fan.

Before you dog lovers start hating me, you should know that even more dogs have been part of my family, along with rabbits, horses, goats, snakes, hamsters and assorted poultry.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A Mississippi State University social scientist is leading a project to promote healthy lifestyles in a state not usually known for its wholesome habits.

Ginger Cross, an assistant research professor in the MSU Social Science Research Center, is promoting the “WannaBee Healthy?” campaign, sponsored by a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Institutes of Health.

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Spring-cleaning is bad news for dust, mildew and spiders, which may explain why the majority of American adults plan to get out the mops and buckets this season.

A good house cleaning involves washing windows and window dressing, moving furniture to reach dust and grime that accumulates, and airing out rooms and closets that are kept closed. It is an important step in preventing houses from becoming home to spiders, such as the venomous brown recluse.

HERNANDO, Miss. -- Food safety training courses on March 30 will help make participating in certified farmers markets a little easier for processed food vendors, cottage food operators, and fruit and vegetable producers.

General Food Safety Training and Acidified Canned Foods Training will teach vendors about specific requirements and procedures for selling their products at certified farmers markets in Mississippi. The Mississippi State University Extension Service will host the seminars at the Hernando Gale Center.  

WAYNESBORO, Miss. -- Almost 10 years after graduating from college with the plan of opening her own child care center, LaTonya Hill’s dream will come true.

Hill’s new center on Hudson Lane will serve 35 children in toddler and pre-K classrooms.