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Southern Gardening

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Southern Gardening offers weekly gardening tips for Mississippi growers interested in lawn, garden, flowers, and all types of horticulture. The show features Dr. Eddie Smith, a gardening specialist and Pearl River County coordinator with the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

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Sun Loving Native Plants, April 2025

Sun Loving Native Plants

April 24, 2025

There are some really nice native plants that love sunny landscapes.

Unique Native Plants, April 2025

Unique Native Plants

April 17, 2025

Southern Gardening is back at Camp Creek Native Plants in New Albany, MS, continuing our celebration of Native Plant Month.

Pruning Native Grasses, April 2025

Pruning Native Grasses

April 10, 2025

April is Native Plant Month, and Southern Gardening is celebrating at Camp Creek Native Plants in New Albany, MS!

Growing Citrus, March 2025

Growing Citrus

March 27, 2025

Growing citrus in the south can be a rewarding experience, especially in warmer climates like USDA zones 8-11.

Purple Pixie, March 2025

Purple Pixie

March 20, 2025

You may be familiar with the traditional large Loropetalums used in landscapes.

Southern Gardening Articles

A mass of low, yellow plants covers the ground beneath a tree.
- Filed Under: Flower Gardens

While visiting the home of Devo and Rosemary Lancaster in Grenada, Mississippi, I was impressed by their creative use of ground cover plants throughout the landscape.

A small tree with dark leaves stands in front of a house.
- Filed Under: Flower Gardens

I’ve always been drawn to plants with maroon-colored leaves. There is something alluring about the way their deep hues add layers of depth, contrast and intrigue to a landscape.

Rich maroon foliage grounds a garden, making surrounding colors pop while adding a touch of drama and elegance. Let’s take a look at some standout plants.

White dogwood blooms grow on bare branches.
- Filed Under: Flower Gardens

While in Grenada, Mississippi, speaking at the Garden Clubs of Mississippi’s 26th Annual Convention, I couldn’t help but notice the gorgeous white-blooming plants that graced the town’s gardens, parks and neighborhoods.

One of my favorites is the native flowering dogwood, and it is one that I do not see as often anymore in south Mississippi. This plant, known scientifically as Cornus florida, is a cherished understory tree throughout the South with blooms that are truly iconic.

A plant has a cluster of yellow and orange flowers.
- Filed Under: Flower Gardens

The last group of native plants I want to highlight during Native Plant Month are those that pollinators can’t resist. Some of my favorites in this group are liatris, coreopsis, gaillardia and gaura.

These plants are beautiful and bring life to my garden through the pollinators they attract. With the right care, they truly thrive.

A collage depicts clusters of tiny purple, white, yellow and red flowers.
- Filed Under: Flower Gardens

Next up in my series celebrating April as Native Plant Month are those that thrive in sunny landscapes.

One of my favorites is yarrow, a tough, drought-tolerant perennial that does especially well in full sun and well-drained soil. Once established, yarrow is very low maintenance and even thrives in poor, sandy or rocky soils.

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