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My wife, Katie, and I continued our travels in Florida after I was a keynote speaker for the Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Conference. We enjoyed collecting seashells on Cocoa Beach while watching the latest SpaceX launch. As children of the 60s who grew up watching the exploits of NASA, this was really cool!

White ornamental grasses glow in the sunlight.
Pink-tipped ornamental grasses grow in front of a pink structure.

I love filling my home with fresh flowers. I always have to browse the floral section at my local grocery store to see if there is a bouquet that must come home with me.

A bouquet of flowers.
Always follow the instructions for flower food to extend the life of your flowers. (Photo by Canva)

Pumpkins, gourds, and squash, oh my! With fall in full effect, I’m buying fall décor all the time. Do I already have several pumpkins on my porch? Yes. Will I be buying more? Also, yes. 

Turban Squash
Turban squash is beautiful fall decor. It's also great to eat in savory dishes! (Photo by MSU Extension)

Recently in my role as a Mississippi State University Extension specialist, I had the opportunity to promote horticulture and bring back great tips from friends in Florida. On Saturday, I co-hosted Better Lawns and Gardens on WFLA-Orlando with my great friend Teresa Watkins.

Green leaves have white and gold variegated color.
Green leaves have white and gold variegated color.

Being able to identify trees is an impressive skill to have. Some trees, like the magnolia tree, are easily recognizable. Others, not so much. Identifying a tree is like solving a mystery. There are several different puzzle pieces to put together before you know for sure what kind of tree it is. 

Japanese Maple Tree
Leaves are your best clue in identifying a tree. (Photo from Canva)

Flu season is upon us, and there’s no better time than now to kick your nutrition up a notch! One easy way to strengthen your immune system is by adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Good nutrition plays an important role in fighting off illnesses, including the flu.

Woman tossing salad
Good nutrition plays an important role in helping you fight off illnesses. One easy way to strengthen your immune system is by adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet.

“Snow” appearing on the sides of highways and bare ground visible for miles is a sure indication that row crop harvest in Mississippi is well underway. As of early October, the majority of the 2022 crop was already harvested, although much work remains for certain crops.

Aerial view of a tractor and a load of grain being transferred.
Farm machinery moves through a row of dry crops.

October is a great month to plant new shrubs in your home landscape. We’re passed the harsh summer heat, and the cooler fall weather is perfect for newly planted shrubs to produce new root growth. In fact, fall-planted shrubs get to grow through the moderate spring season

White and green variegated foliage has pink blooms.
A shrub in a container has dark-purple leaves.

Fall is the perfect time to enjoy fire pits and camping trips! Firewood is a necessity for both activities, so it’s important to know how to properly collect and manage it. Be sure to get your firewood within 50 miles of where you will burn it whether that’s in your backyard or at a campground several miles from home.

Campfire
Firewood can carry invasive pests and diseases. To avoid spreading these to uninfected areas, you should not move firewood over long distances.

We asked and y’all delivered…Bronson and Steve sit down to answer your questions from social media on deer biology. Stay tuned for the following two Deer University episodes where more of your questions get answered! Be sure to follow us on social media @MSUDeerLab.

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