Garden of Curiosity

Plants can create curiosity. The Rankin County Master Gardens have created the Garden of Curiosity at the Brandon Public Library in Brandon, MS. Let’s look at some of the plants growing in this garden. I love the Dwarf Mexican petunias in front of the garden sign mounted on a huge rock. Growing to about 6 to 12 inches tall, they are perfect for borders or container gardening. The plants produce abundant blooms from spring through fall. The blooms are trumpet-shaped in vibrant shades of purple. Their lance-shaped, dark green leaves provide a lush backdrop for the flowers. A plant in the garden that caught my curiosity, the Cup plant, has an impressive growth height. This plant can grow up to 8 feet tall, making it a bold addition to any garden. This striking native perennial is known for its bright yellow, sunflower-like blooms, and distinctive, cup-shaped leaves. Its large, serrated leaves form a cup where they join the stem, providing water for birds and insects. Cup plants bloom from midsummer to early fall, attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators with their nectar-rich flowers. Flame Acanthus is another plant that caught my eye in the garden. Known as Wright’s Desert Honeysuckle or Hummingbird Bush, its tubular, fiery orange-red flowers bloom from late summer to fall, making it a magnet for hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators. If you are ever in Brandon, MS, you should stop by the Brandon Library and see the Garden of Curiosity. I am Eddie Smith, and I will see you next time on Southern Gardening.