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If you are a sports fan -- or even if aren’t but don’t want to let that secret out -- one way to show off your allegiance is in the garden. There may not be a better way to combine interests than through a creative display that can include blooms, foliage and even garden art.

A garden flag stands in the landscape.
White blooms cover a plant.

Pruning is one of the least understood gardening tasks and for good reason – it’s confusing. When, how, and if you should prune depends on the type of plant or tree you have and your goal for the plant. Check out these pruning tasks for the last one-third of the year.

golden rain tree
Early fall is perfect for removing damaged and dead wood from tress in the landscape.

September and October have many home gardeners wondering what to do with their landscapes for the next couple of months. Summer annuals are nearly worn out, and the weather is still too warm for winter color to be established. I have found fall mums to be an ideal bridge crop.

Red blooms and buds cover a plant.
Dozens of buds show flashes of color.

I really enjoy eating Mediterranean style food and this tasty, protein-filled salad with Greek seasoning is perfect for me.

Bowl of Greek Island Salad
This Greek Island Salad is packed with protein and you will not have to heat up the kitchen.

A few sassafras trees across Mississippi have started to show signs of dieback, and Mississippi State University is asking for help in identifying affected trees. The trees are suspected of having laurel wilt, a disease caused by a fungus that has already proven deadly to the state’s redbay trees. The fungus is carried by the redbay ambrosia beetle, an invasive species native to Asia.

A man uses small tools to work on a tree.
Close-up image of a tiny, brown beetle.

Most cotton in Mississippi got off to an excellent start in May, received the heat needed in June and July, and now is ready for sunny skies so growers can harvest a potentially above-average crop. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates 56% of the crop is in good or excellent shape, with another 38% estimated at fair. As of Aug. 28, bolls were opening on an estimated 25% of the crop.

A white flower blooms on top of a cotton plant setting bolls.
A man stands in tall cotton.

Do you know what is safe and unsafe when it comes to using water that is under a boil-water alert? Here's what to do and not do if you are under a boil water notice.

pot of boiling water
Although boil-water notices are an inconvenience, it’s important to heed these safety precautions to avoid ingesting bacteria that could make you and your family sick.

There are not very many things quite as annoying as a pesky house fly in your home. House flies will buzz inside anytime a door or window is opened. Airconditioning, modern sewage management, and the lack of livestock near our homes means most people don’t see large numbers of flies in their homes these days. Think about how bad they were back in the day before proper window screening existed! But there are times when flies will occasionally get inside and certain settings that can increase the fly population around your home. 

A fly on a window with homes in the background.
Keep a flyswatter handy and be diligent in your cleaning to prevent flies from multiplying in number. (Photo by Canva)

Over the weekend, we had a most welcome visitor return to my home garden and landscape after an absence of several months. Our first hummingbird of the fall season arrived, and this was an indicator of lots of activity in the next few weeks. I get excited to see the first fall hummingbirds because it means they’re going to start gathering all along the Gulf Coast in preparation for their fall migration.

One hummingbird hovers near a red hanging feeder while a second perches on it.

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