Southern Gardening

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Throughout the South they are called gazing balls, gazing globes and garden globes. You have probably seen those brightly colored Christmas-like balls in the landscape and wondered what they were all about. Are they heavy, are they breakable and what do you do with them?

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Basil is as pretty as a coleus in the flowerbed, yet yields the key ingredient to many favorite dishes. Whether you say "bay-zil" or "baa-zil," we can agree on one thing. Juicy tomato chunks mixed with olive oil, freshly torn basil and garlic spooned over hot pasta is a true feast.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

While "in the heat of the night" can refer to crime and passion, it also can be a time of miracles for the Southern gardener. Night blooming plants are very exotic yet much overlooked by everyone but the ardent gardeners.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Having lived all but two years of my life with alkaline soils and lots of water, I relished the opportunity to come to Mississippi a little over three years ago. The chance to finally grow azaleas, camellias and dogwoods was icing on the cake.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

"They re-seed prolifically" is a warning I give quite often when discussing various plants. Even though I said "warning," more and more gardeners are looking at it as a blessing, and the same when we tell them a particular plant may have invasive tendencies. It seems gardeners are ready for those plants that are so happy to "be fruitful and multiply" as the Bible says.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Two relatively new flowering plants are attracting attention across Mississippi. They are Husker Red penstemon and angelonia.

Husker Red penstemon was the Perennial Plant of the Year a couple of years ago. On a recent trip to Verona, I saw it in a Mississippi State University test garden, and it looked awesome!

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Now that Mother's Day is over, I would like to pose a question. What is the perfect rose?

When I was executive director of the American Rose Society, I loved to ask that in a group because it was almost certain to start a skirmish. If there were a few more rose growers in the world, we could probably start a small war with the question.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

There was something about the recent Garden and Patio Show in Jackson that really surprised me. Gardener after gardener was walking out of the show carrying a trellis, tower and even arbors. Climbing plants are back in business.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

For years I have been hooked on growing salvias like this year's Mississippi Medallion winner Victoria Blue, as well as the Mexican bush sage and others. But this is the first year I have grown Salvia elegans, or pineapple sage, which is a must in your garden or on your patio.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The buddleia has fragrant blossoms, attracts butterflies and excels as a cut flower. It is referred to as the butterfly bush in the United States, while in its native China they call it the Summer Lilac.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The Mississippi Medallion winners are proven, season-long performers in climates where summers are tough with heat and humidity. The three 1998 winners are Zinnia angustifolia, Salvia farinacea Victoria Blue and the Natchez crape myrtle.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Temperatures are fairly moderate now as are utility bills, but we all know what is ahead. We can take decisive action today which will pay great dividends in subsequent years.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

An audience gathered at the courthouse in New Jersey to watch Col. Robert Gibbon Johnson die from eating a basketful of tomatoes. Colonel Johnson's physician warned he would, "Foam and froth at the mouth ...double over with appendicitis ... and expose himself to brain fever." Johnson didn't die that day in 1820, and a new era for tomatoes slowly began.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Before the National Bureau designated 1998 as the Year of the Geranium, I couldn't remember the last time I planted geraniums or even paid them any attention. Now guess what I have in my landscape and in mixed containers?

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Many homeowners are asking me what they can plant as a screen to increase privacy. The Leyland Cypress certainly is a good choice, as is the Eastern red cedar, but there are several other great choices for screens.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Few plants are as tough and more deserving a place in the Mississippi flower border than the Ruellia (Ruellia brittoniana). Not only does it endure high heat and humidity, but it is also a performer in drought-like conditions. This may be very important if the second half of the El Nino prediction comes through. That prediction calls for very little rain this summer.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

This spring you have got to look for the hot, new verbenas called Temari. Temari, which means "a handful of flowers," is being brought to us by Suntory, the same firm who gave us Surfinias and Tapien verbenas.

Temari verbenas are available in bright red coming from the orange and yellow hues, violet and bright pink. These flowers' colors are very bold and bright. They are trailing type verbenas that actually live up to their claim of having baseball-sized flower clusters.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Many people seem determined to associate herbs with a 1970's hippie adventure in the garden. But the truth is, herb gardening is a new tide rising on a wave of popularity, and I hope you consider planting an herb garden this year.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Redbuds are not the only flowering trees that herald the arrival of spring. One different looking, but gorgeous tree you may have noticed is the Taiwan cherry.

By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Sweet potato vines are becoming all the rage as landscape plants. It is not too hard to believe when you realize that many of us grow their close relatives, the morning glories or moon flowers.