News

Pearl children’s garden is outdoor treat for all

Children’s learning gardens are a wonderful way to educate young people about plants. They are designed as places for young children to use their imaginations to relate to their surroundings, explore, touch and play as they develop an affection for the natural world. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the Pearl Public Library Children’s Learning Garden in Pearl, Mississippi.

Soybean, cotton harvests benefit from clear weather

Harvest for two of the state’s most significant row crops is well underway, with soybeans and cotton both ahead of schedule.
As of Oct. 6, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that cotton was 43% harvested, ahead of the five-year average of 31% complete by this date. Soybeans were 76% harvested, where typically the crop is just 60% harvested.

Brandon’s Hill Garden offers diverse flowers

I’ve always enjoyed visiting educational gardens across the state, and my recent trip to the Hill Garden in Brandon, Mississippi, was no exception.

Established by the Rankin County Master Gardeners in 1995, this garden is a treasured landmark and one of the oldest Master Gardener projects in Mississippi.

Crosby Arboretum earns Outpost Business recognition

Corn, rice harvest is wrapped for 2024

Corn and rice harvests wrapped up for Mississippi fields a bit ahead of schedule, helped by the ideal weather leading up to the harvest window.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated corn harvest was 96% complete by Sept. 22, 2024. This put harvest ahead of the five-year average, which typically has corn 89% harvested by that date.

Passalong Firespike as a garden beauty

This time of year, my Firespike is putting on a show in my garden. This herbaceous perennial is known for its large, dramatic spikes of bright red, tubular flowers. Each spike features densely packed clusters of 3-inch-long blooms that emerge in a striking, fiery red color, which can deepen to a rich crimson at the tips.

County-level monitoring gives state drought picture

Knowing that the severity of a drought is more than a measure of weather data, Mississippi State University Extension Service agents across the state gather photos and data weekly to document actual conditions.
Mike Brown, MSU professor of geosciences and state climatologist, helped develop and now oversees an app that allows him to submit detailed, highly localized information to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The Drought Monitor is a publication provided by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is the basis of much drought-relief efforts nationwide.

Find room for Angelonia Angelface series in gardens

On a recent visit to the Mississippi State University South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville, I was captivated by the beauty of the Angelonia plants in their display gardens.

The Angelonia Angelface series truly impressed me with their snapdragon-like flowers and versatility in various garden and landscape settings.

Cotton damage from Francine minimal, harvest ramps up