Flower Gardens
Annuals and perennials spice the landscape with their colorful flowers and foliage. Beds of color provide brilliant accents against backgrounds of permanent plantings, soften man-made lines, and provide graceful transitions from one outdoor area to another. Flowers can be used to catch the eye, accent a view, frame a door, or just draw attention to their own blooms.
Annual plants
Annual plants are practical in that they are versatile, sturdy, and inexpensive. They quickly yield color for one long season.
Perennial plants
Perennial plants return year after year. They fit into many landscapes and can be used in borders, as accents, or as strong focal points. The foliage of many perennials is attractive during nonflowering seasons as well.
Roses
Where noted, much of the content of this area was taken from an Extension short course, Growing and Enjoying Roses in Mississippi, presented in the spring of 2007.- Control Fire Ants in Your Yard
- Crafting with Roses*
- Insect Pests of Roses
- Other Sources of Information on Roses*
- Propagating Plants For The Home Landscape
- Pruning/Deadheading*
- Pruning Diagrams*
- Recommended Roses for Mississippi Gardens (slides)
- Recommended Roses for Mississippi Gardens (text)
- Rose Propagation
- Site Selection, Bed Preparation and Planting of Roses
- Spicy Rose Potpourri*
- Suggested Roses for Landscape Uses*
- Techniques and Tips for Growing Good Roses
- Using Roses in the Landscape*
- Watering and Plant Disease
Content for parts of this section comes from Extension Publication #P1826 - Annual & Perennial Flowers For Mississippi Gardens and *where noted, from a rose short course, Growing and Enjoying Roses in Mississippi, presented in the spring of 2007 by the MSU Extension Service.
Publications
News
Poinsettias are classic holiday plants, known for their vibrant red and snowy white hues. You may not know that there are also many colorful versions of this popular plant that can add a unique and festive touch to your holiday decor. I love the many different colors that range from pink and coral to yellow and marbled. Today, poinsettias can be found in a variety of shades to suit your preferences.
Reflecting back on Thanksgiving, I feel thankful for the opportunity to grow plants that share their large, beautiful flowers with me. I think plants with big flowers have a bold presence that adds interest and value to any landscape. While they may have a shorter flowering period compared to those with small flowers, do not underestimate the impact they can have.
During a recent visit to the Mississippi State University Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station in Crystal Springs, I stumbled upon two striking plants that were in full bloom and showing out. While admiring their beauty, I noticed that bees were equally drawn to these plants. What caught my eye was the Caryopteris plants.
Fall is a great time to start planning for the upcoming spring season. If you’re thinking about making some changes to your landscape, have you considered bringing in a new color? Purple is a regal, attention-grabbing color that can add a touch of sophistication and elegance to your garden or landscape.
A dreary November landscape can get a gardener dreaming of spring, and if you’re like me, you’re already thinking about plants that will add a splash of color to the landscape next year.
Success Stories
Dr. Jim DelPrince is taking care of what matters this holiday season, and you can too!
Thanks to Dr. Eddie Smith for taking care of what matters to all the Southern Gardening fans out there!
Paul Cavanaugh became a Master Gardener when he came off the road as a truck driver and his wife encouraged him to find a hobby.
Missy Brandon remembers gathering countless bouquets of the tiny blue-eyed bluets that grew in her parents’ yard when she was a child. She would place them in a miniature pottery vase made by her mom, who taught art and ceramics. Growing up, Missy gathered and arranged any and all kinds of blooms she could find.
From 2010, when Dr. Gary Bachman was named host of Southern Gardening by the Mississippi State University Extension Service, until January 2023, the popular horticulture-advice news column and video series has bloomed!
