Do your part in stopping the spread of invasives Story by Michelle Reynolds Take a hike in any nearby woods, and chances are good that you will see the effects of someone’s poorly thought out landscape plan. In my neck of the woods (Birmingham and central Alabama), I see escaped English ivy (Hedera helix) climbing …
The all-green garden makes quite a statement Story by Nan K. Chase Sometimes we go overboard with color in the garden: carpets of pastel bulbs in spring, big bold patches of orange and red and purple in summer, and then washes of crimson and gold in fall. If it’s a crime to plant loads of …
Creating cozy outdoor rooms in your landscape Story and Photos by Richelle Stafne Ideas and materials for pulling off a cozy outdoor room on a budget can be found in many places. The basics include a comfortable room away from the house with seating, an area to prepare food, and seclusion or privacy. A simple …
10 ways to keep critters out of your fruit and vegetable gardens Story by Karen Ott Mayer Nothing is more frustrating than planting a garden only to watch healthy, vibrant plants succumb to the munchings of any number of critters – from squirrels to deer. Sometimes getting creative or experimenting can change the gardening score …
A profile of Hernando gardener Parker Pickle Story and photo by Karen Ott Mayer For more than 40 years, Parker Pickle has been known to many Hernando residents as the DeSoto County tax assessor. Across town at his home, The Cedars, Pickle has cultivated an immense loyalty to his home and garden. “I could never …
‘Ruby Spice’ summersweet Story by Denise Pugh If you’re out in the garden sometime in July and smell a sweet aroma and see pink blooms that resemble miniature bottlebrushes, and a plethora of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds attending these blossoms, you might be the owner of the award-winning Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice.’ This shrub …
Eating fresh from the garden Story by Rick Snyder, Ph.D. Now that spring is in full swing and summer is knocking on the door, we are ready to harvest some fresh vegetables from our gardens. If you have a perennial planting of asparagus, you would have started picking in March and April. But for everybody …
Non-traditional ways to use annuals in the landscape Story by Jennifer Williams Driving through most neighborhoods across the country, you can see that we have all been told the same thing about annuals – Keep it simple: Plant your annuals near the front of your flowerbeds, pick one or two options and colors, plant en …
Tips for growing this popular summer staple Story by Denise Pugh Once the spring equinox has passed and the gardening catalogs have whetted our appetites for fresh vegetables, summer squash is on the top of my list. Summer squash is a popular summer vegetable and it has many attributes that make it perfect for the home …
A gardener with a carnivorous hobby Story by Karen O’Neal Burnley Cook is somewhat of a local legend in Natchez. In addition to being an expert on carnivorous plants, Burnley recently received awards from the Historic Natchez Foundation and the Natchez Historical Society for preserving a theater organ xylophone dating back to 1922. He had …
