Southern Gardening

One of my favorite groups of flowering annuals for the summer season are begonias. Let’s take a look at great choices for the sun and shade. The first begonia is the 2019 Mississippi Medallion winner Whopper Red with Bronze Leaf Improved that produces big red blooms along with shimmery, bronze leaves.

​A hardworking and reliable flowering summer annual is celosia. These are one of my go to, easy care plants. Plumed Celosia are beautiful plants with vertical feathery flowers. These annuals are a great choice for our hot and dry summers.

I’m asked all the time about landscape design, as if there are rules to follow. Pfffft……That’s exactly why I like to visit my friend Jane’s garden. Now don’t get me wrong Jane is serious about her landscape.

Flowers don’t have to be big to make an impact in your landscape. Let’s take a look at a few plants that have small flowers but have a mighty garden presence. Every landscape needs Superbells, these are like regular calibrachoa only on steroids. 

I don’t think there is anything more inviting or beautiful than a large and colorful combination container prominently displayed on the patio. These elaborate containers seem like they would be hard for the home gardener to make, but not if you remember the following ingredients: Thriller, filler and spiller. 

One of my favorite landscape shrubs is hibiscus. There are four types of these flowering shrubs we grow in our Mississippi Landscapes. Hardy hibiscus selections are winter hardy, having been bred from the native hibiscus of the Gulf coast.