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Toffee Twist carex, commonly called copper sedge, adds an interesting color and texture to full- and part-sun gardens. It partners well with yellow and blue flowers.
June 22, 2006 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

It is not unusual for a stunning display of flowers to stop people in their tracks, but grasses rarely have that effect. At the Mississippi State University Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station in Crystal Springs, a couple of grass-like plants did just that.

The melampodium produces small, brightly colored, daisy-like flowers from spring through frost. These yellow-gold blossoms allow them to partner wonderfully with pink and blue-violet to purple petunias.
June 15, 2006 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

It's funny that melapodiums I used to consider ideal beginner plants are now “must haves” during summers that have a penchant to be both hot and dry.

Columns from a former home provide a ghostly Southern archaeological feel to the edge of this Delta garden.
June 8, 2006 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Recycling is popular in today's society, but the idea rarely conjures up visions of beauty. One Tallahatchie County gardener has developed a garden with old items that would make many people clean out their attics and garages in search of ornamental items to create unique displays.

The Graffiti Red Lace provides beautiful support of these black-eyed Susans, or Rudbeckias.
June 1, 2006 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

These first hot summer months send people searching for some colorful flowers that can take the Mississippi heat and humidity while providing a dazzling display in the landscape. With those goals in mind, pentas are hard to beat.

These blue scaevola partner well with orange verbena in this sunny garden setting. With lovely fan-shaped flowers and summer heat tolerance, scaevola has won numerous awards for their performance across the South.
May 25, 2006 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

What plant was a 1997 Mississippi Medallion award winner, a 1997 Georgia Gold Medal winner, a 1997 Louisiana Select winner, a 1999 Arkansas Select winner, a 1999 Texas Superstar winner and a 2000 Oklahoma Proven award winner, but you probably still haven't tried it? Answer: the scaevola.

Powis Castle artemisia partners well with Purple Heart. Powis Castle has feathery gray foliage and is very showy against the deep, dark purple-leafed Setcreasea.
May 18, 2006 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

One of the most beautiful plants for the spring and summer garden is the artemisia, and I am convinced it is not being used enough, especially the hybrid known as Powis Castle.

We filmed an upcoming Southern Gardening TV segment at the garden of Rhonda and Tracy Simpson in Sumner. Rhonda uses artemisias to perfection throughout her garden.

The Picante salmon salvia is part of a series that sends up multiple branches at a record pace. Salvias bloom from spring through frost, making this annual an exceptional buy. Its spiky texture is most welcome in a garden world dominated by round flowers.
May 11, 2006 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Scarlet sage is an old-fashioned plant has come out this year with new colors and varieties that will ensure its popularity for years to come.

Scarlet sage is an annual salvia known botanically as Salvia splendens. One new group that has caught my attention is the Picante series. This one seems to send up multiple branches at a record pace. It also comes in some weird colors that make the term “scarlet” seem obsolete.

Fusion Glow impatiens have blossoms that are yellow with an orange and yellow bi-colored center. They look beautiful here with Aztec Violet verbena and Galleria Deep Rose geranium.
May 4, 2006 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Most of us first encountered the word fusion in physics or chemistry classes, but now we see it everywhere. Fusion is a Ford car, razor blades and also one of the hottest new impatiens varieties.

The Goldilocks variety of Creeping Jenny is an excellent accent in mixed containers. With leaves that resemble small discs, Goldilocks will it serve as a colorful filler plant, then climb over and plummet down the container. The leaves have a lime green color that will turn an iridescent yellow given more sun.
April 27, 2006 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

If blondes really have more fun, then Goldilocks should be the key to a fabulous time in this summer's gardens.

Goldilocks is known botanically as Lysimachia nummulari, which also has the common names of Creeping Jenny and Moneywort. This Lysimachia is native to Europe and is perennial from zones 3 through 11. It's a pretty tough plant that can survive those extremes in temperatures.

Tapien verbenas offer equally impressive toughness and beauty. They may be the ultimate groundcover with their dense carpet of green foliage topped off by gorgeous flowers most of the summer.
April 20, 2006 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The perennial verbena truly has come of age in the landscape during the last decade. Homestead Purple, Biloxi Blue and Port Gibson Pink have all been recognized for their outstanding performance.

The Cloud Nine ageratum is a new vegatively propagated series. They are large plants with big flowers that work well in mixed containers.
April 13, 2006 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

I have always loved the ageratum for its rare blue color, but I have never thought of it as a tough plant. Now thanks to new breeding, there are varieties we can count on for just about the entire growing season.

The Kong coleus will liven up the shade garden and be available in red, scarlet, rose and mosaic varieties. It is a large plant, with one leaf big enough to cover a face.
April 6, 2006 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Five years ago, I would have predicted coleus' days of popularity were over, but I have changed my mind. The Mississippi Plant Selections Committee chose the monolithic Kong coleus as a Mississippi Medallion award winner.

The Profusion Fire and Profusion Apricot zinnia varieties bloom from spring until frost. Profusion Fire astounds viewers with its scarlet and orange blooms. The Profusion Apricot is light coral with a rich terracotta center.
March 30, 2006 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The two newest zinnias in the Profusion series have garnered top honors in Mississippi. The Mississippi Plant Selections Committee chose the Profusion Fire and Profusion Apricot as 2006 Mississippi Medallion award winners.

The Mississippi Medallion award program began in 1996 with the selections of New Gold lantana and Blue Daze evolvulus.

The Intensia phlox series blooms from early spring until fall frost. Because of this long bloom season, the bright colors of Lavender Glow, Lilac Rose, Neon Pink and Cabernet have an endless choice of companion plants.
March 23, 2006 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Phlox seem to be blooming everywhere now, already making the springtime sizzle. The two you mostly see are the creeping Phlox subulata and the Louisiana phlox, or Wild Sweet William, known botanically as Phlox divaricata.

The foliage of Wild Lime coleus matches the yellow in the Prairie Sun rudbeckias and helps provide an opposite complementary color for the Easy Wave Blue petunias.
March 16, 2006 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Garden centers are bringing in new flowers by the truck full, and choices may seem a little overwhelming. One thing you should consider is incorporating plants grown for foliage, such as the coleus, in combination with those you pick for flowers.

One stunning planting I saw late last summer would be easy for anyone to duplicate. It had rudbeckias, petunias and coleus.

Mystic Spires Blue is the first dwarf or compact selection of the well-loved Indigo Spires. It will work well with perennials like purple coneflowers and summer phlox, or combined with yellows like melampodium, black-eyed Susans and New Gold lantana.
March 9, 2006 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Since its discovery almost 40 years ago, Indigo Spires salvia has been one of the most loved flowers in Southern gardens. It deserves the Mississippi Medallion honor even though it has never received the award.

Blazin Rose Iresine
March 2, 2006 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

The Iresine varieties Blazin Rose and Bloodleaf got a lot of attention at the Gulf Coast Garden and Patio Show and look to be among the hottest plants for 2006. If you missed them in Hattiesburg, you will be able to see them at the 9th Jackson Garden and Patio Show.

2006 Mississippi Medallion winner Knock Out is a shrub rose that is very disease resistant, and plants are heat and drought tolerant once established.
February 23, 2006 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Ten years after the Mississippi Medallion award program started in 1996, the Mississippi Plant Selections Committee is announcing its first award-winning rose: Knock Out.

The Angel Mist lavender compact angelonia combines well with Million Gold Melampodium. The new compact Angel Mist angelonias will stay around 15 to 18 inches tall and bloom long before they need to be deadheaded.
February 16, 2006 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Thanks to the new Serena series and a new compact called Angel Mist, angelonias should finally reach star status in Southern landscapes.

Maybe that's wishful thinking because my recent surveys at seminars point to a disturbing fact -- gardeners still haven't tried angelonias and probably don't understand what they are.

Each Tiger Fern frond resemble a tiger's stripes with different colors and different patterns of variegation. The colors will vary from dark green to lime green and golden yellow.
February 9, 2006 - Filed Under: Lawn and Garden

By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

If you like the Boston Fern, you will adore the Tiger Fern. These tropical treasures make their Mississippi debut this spring at garden and patio shows in Hattiesburg, Jackson and Southaven.

Their incredible beauty comes from the variegation that resembles a tiger's stripes. Each frond will be a different color and offer a different pattern of variegation. The colors will vary from dark green to lime green and golden yellow.

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