News Filed Under Landscape and Garden Design

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is leading a research project aimed at enhancing pollinator habitat in managed turfgrass of the Southeast.

I had planned to write again this week about more great cool-season color options, but we had a landscape and garden crasher named Hurricane Zeta make a mess on the Gulf coast.

This storm surprised most folks with its intensity and property damage. It also did a lot -- and I do mean a lot -- of damage to trees that resulted in widespread power outages. My family and neighbors were lucky that our power was off for only 48 hours.

A moss pathway is an easy way to add a special touch of elegance, enchantment, and royalty to your landscape. A pathway covered with bright green moss seems like something a king or queen would have in their landscape, right? 

I love when the calendar strikes December 1, because it means we are officially in the Christmas season. Now, I know it seems like many stores have had their holiday decorations out since before Labor Day, but none of that counts until we get to December.

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. -- An upcoming workshop will offer training for people who want to turn their piece of land into an edible landscape, no matter the size.

The Alliance of Sustainable Farms will host its monthly workshop Nov. 8 at Galloway Family Farm in Ocean Springs.

Topics will include growing an edible landscape and square-foot gardening.

Galloway Family Farm has been in operation for more than 50 years, growing crops usually only seen on the Gulf Coast in Mississippi, including pawpaws, Japanese plums, bananas and kiwis.

One group of landscape plants that is really starting to take off with its summer show is the lantana. These popular landscape plants are available in a dizzying variety of sizes and colors.

I spent a lot of time working in my yard during April. I planted several pots, pruned my shrubs, and put down a fresh layer of mulch. It would be easy to sit back and admire my hard work, but with the warmer weather coming in, there’s still so much to do! 

February marks the beginning of pruning chores in the garden. This task will be a breeze if you have the right tools. MSU Extension horticulture specialist Gary Bachman recommends three pruning tools every gardener should have. (Photo by Jonathan Parrish/Cindy Callahan)

The last few weeks have been hot and humid, and many of my gardening friends are ready for fall's cooler temperatures.

With all of the bright, colorful summer annuals we’re planting this month, I find myself looking for more out-of-the-ordinary plants for my landscape. One that always creates a bit of a stir and generates questions is an old plant called papyrus.

Papyrus, similar to the plant grown and used by the ancient Egyptians to make paper, is easy to grow and has few pests. If you’re intrigued by this plant, you will be happy to learn there are three selections suitable for use in our Mississippi landscapes.

One of my favorite spring flowering trees is our native redbud.

This small tree flowers early in the spring before most other trees have started to leaf out after their winter naps. It’s good that redbuds blooms so early because they are usually found as understory trees. While driving around the state, it’s common to see a redbud framed or silhouetted by leafless hardwoods.