Southern Gardening

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

One of my favorite plants since I was a child has been moss rose. It is native to Brazil and has a ground hugging habit that means you cover much more space with fewer plants.

Known botanically as Portulaca grandilfora, it has green, fleshy, succulent leaves with unbelievable flower power. A similar plant, though weedier and not as showy, is Portulaca oleracea, known as purslane.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

During last October's Fall Garden Day in Crystal Springs, people kept asking about a plant they thought was gorgeous. This really did my heart good because I could see these gardeners had arrived at a special plateau.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Many gardeners are making their spring trek to the garden center for flowers with little thought as to what they will buy. Shoppers may base their purchases on what looks the freshest or which plants have the most color showing. A little forethought toward particular colors will make your efforts more rewarding.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The Biloxi area is celebrating its tricentennial this year -- 300 years! Like this beautiful city captures the hearts of visitors, the 1999 Mississippi Medallion winner, Biloxi Blue verbena will snare the hearts of gardeners throughout the state.

Biloxi Blue is one of four outstanding plants chosen as a 1999 Mississippi Medallion winners with Indian Summer rudbeckia, Tonto and Sioux crape myrtles rounding out the list.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Virginia willows, which are native to Mississippi, have received awesome reviews in Texas, North Carolina and Louisiana where they have been chosen as plant of the year.

You may know Virginia willows as the sweetspire or Virginia sweetspire. In addition to those names, selections like Henry's Garnet and Sarah's Eve may be available at your local garden center. Virginia willow is known botanically as Itea virginica. "Itea" is Greek for willow.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

American writer Joyce Kilmer may be most famous for his poem "Trees." I have often wondered what tree, if any, the New Jersey native was thinking about when he wrote that famous poem.

The tree that most assuredly is causing the traveler to pause now and gaze at her beauty is the dogwood. The bloom of the dogwood alone should make you want at least one for your yard, if not several.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Growing fresh produce for the picking doesn't always mean having an intensive garden, a square-foot garden or an acre or more. It can be as simple and fun as growing a basket of petunias, and baskets are where I would like to start.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The environment where I grew up made azaleas out of the question, so the site of all our azaleas erupting into spectacular blooms astounds me.

I'm further amazed that the native azaleas haven't caught on around here. Perhaps it's because growers haven't perfected the mass production of these azaleas or that demand is so great for the other azaleas. Maybe it is simply not worth the time, expense and effort to grow these on a grand scale.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

A trip to a favorite garden center can be similar to walking into an ice cream shop. The push of spring blooms, coupled with warmer weather may have you chomping at the bit to get out planting. But before you buy some of everything, stop and do a little thinking or planning.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Ornamental grasses can really make a difference in our landscapes. The varieties abound for just the right look and location.

Dwarf sweet flag, mostly known as Japanese sweet flag, is one of the prettiest grasses we can use in the landscape. Although new in our local markets, this grass is drawing increased attention.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Every week I try to tell you what's arriving in the world of plants, but this week's column is dedicated to what's old and still wonderful. Mississippi and much of the South provide some outstanding old homesteads with long-standing plants announcing spring's arrival.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

To promote 1999 as the year of the salvia, the National Garden Bureau sent me pages and pages of information, but failed to mention my favorites. In defense of the National Garden Bureau, Mother Nature provided us with more than 900 species of salvia.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Competition is not only great for the airline industry, but for plant breeders and adventuresome gardeners as well.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Two new hollies, Liberty and Patriot, have made their debut to the Red Holly Hybrid group, giving gardeners seven beautiful new hollies from which to choose.

This group is called the Red Holly Hybrids because several produce new growth that is a red to maroon color. As a whole, these are some of the most elegant and statuesque hollies and are rapidly gaining recognition from Texas to the East Coast. In Mississippi, they are produced in Poplarville and Lucedale.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

As a kid, I longed for 1986 when Haley's Comet would streak across the sky. Others quaked in fear of that ominous comet that comes around every 70-something years. Now, many of the same omens are forecast for the year 2000.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Growers will not be disappointed by the trends toward bold flowering beds and orange colors in 1999.

The recent Grower Expo in Atlanta provide me the opportunity to hear several well-known writers and horticulturists as they describe the trends for the coming season.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

A recent trip to exchange Christmas gifts actually perked my spirits a little when I found a new shipment of roses ready for winter planting on the shelves. The aspect of new plants, changes in the garden, and blooms in the springtime have many of us talking about gardening even on these coldest days of winter.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The New Year looks very promising from the standpoint of new plants for the gardener. The All-America Selections committee has recognized 12 winners for 1999. These winners also represent several countries like Germany, Japan, Taiwan and China.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

As I attempted to button my favorite pair of pants, it became quite evident there was a problem. They had obviously shrunk from high humidity in my closet. It looks like the same New Year's resolution will be at the top of my list again, but only after gorging during the bowl games.

There are several New Year's gardening resolutions we all need to make to have a better and more environmentally friendly garden next year.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Before beginning a program on landscaping with native plants, I asked some in the crowd what were some of their favorites. Plants like crape myrtles and camellias were high on their lists, as were several other plants from Japan and China.

Even though most of the plants they listed weren't natives, we as gardeners can create quite a landscape with home-style Southern plants. Mississippians can have an effective four-season landscape using native plants.