MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Garden and landscape enthusiasts will flock to the Fall Flower and Garden Fest at the Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station in Crystal Springs on Oct. 15 and 16 for the latest plant recommendations.

The 26th annual fall fest will take place from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. both days. Visitors can tour the three-acre vegetable, flower and herb gardens. Additional plots include ethnic, butterfly, hummingbird and shade gardens, the Mississippi Medallion Winners Garden and the All-America Selection Winners Garden.

Sponsored by Mississippi State University's Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, the event attracts more than 5,000 people from across the region every year. In addition to the garden tours, visitors can view educational displays and demonstrations. Fifteen garden seminars on a wide variety of topics will be held each day.

Some of the topics included in the event are pond management, pruning, tomatoes, floral design, climbing vegetables and flowers, ornamental grasses, backyard wildlife habitats, beekeeping and compost development. Home economics exhibits, Master Gardener programs and a huge plant sale are also on the agenda.

Family highlights include the corn maze, wagon ride tours and the Corn Meal Man, a man who demonstrates an old-fashioned grist mill.

The Truck Crops Experiment Station is located on Highway 51 in Crystal Springs, 25 miles south of Jackson. Take exit 68 off Interstate 55 to get there. For more information call (601) 892-3731 or your local county Extension office.