FLORAL ARRANGING CLASS

Photos from our Christmas floral arranging class. I think everyone enjoyed learning how to use wet foam and how to mix greenery for an unusual arrangement.

You can even use silk flowers mixed in.

MASTER GARDENERS AT WORK

Our Master Gardeners worked a table at the Extension Creative Christmas. We gave away a ton of info on planting bulbs and caring for Christmas flowers such as poinsettias and Amaryllis. We alo gave out hundreds of packets of diff

erent seeds from our gardens.

FALL CLEANUP

Out working at the Extension office.

FALL/WINTER GARDENS

 We have had a hot month of August-gardening has come to a stand still for the most part. The most anybody is doing is dragging a water hose and hoping for cooler weather. Some people have planted for fall, but they are having to water constantly. I like to hold off till the middle or last of September to transplant fall vegetables. In Mississippi brussell sprouts, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, radish, and cabbage as well as mustard and turnip greens all do well in a fall /winter garden.
At this late date I would use transplants for everything but lettuce, greens, and radish.             

LEAF CASTINGS

Pouring rain today-we needed it really badly here. I have decided in Ms. it is either raining or it is NOT! lol. Our group got together recently to make leaf castings.

We even had one of the grandkids helping.

DAYLILY'S

All of this rain we have been having has made the daylily's as spectacular as the roses this year.

And look at the size of some of them!

And different shapes.

SPECTACULAR ROSES THIS YEAR

My roses have been spectacular this year. This is an arrangement I made for our county Extension office.

Another arrangement made for an Extension luncheon.A small arrangement is sometimes all you need to brighten a certain place.

Isn't this Dr. Van Fleet just a picture perfect rose? No smell and it only blooms once a year, but so worth having. It produces so many blooms that you can cut armloads of flowers.

VISITING MS. JUDITH

Visiting at one of our Master Gardener's farm. Had to stop and pet the goats and chickens. Lots of free fertilize here!

I love goats!

I wonder if Ms. Judith put some of that great animal fertilize on these iris? Mine sure are not this pretty.

TOURING THE STRAWBERRY FIELDS

Our group went out to Reyer Farms for a tour of the strawberry fields. Brittny, one of our Master Gardeners and her husband own this farm.

We will go back when the tomatoes are ready, too.

Delicious samples and berries to ta

Even Daisy had a sample.

See those beautiful fields in the background?

ke home.

PAULA'S GARDEN IN SPRING

One of our Master Gardeners called and said come out and take photos of my garden while it looks good-we all know that in Mississippi it can change in a day! Her husband built this wonderful gazebo for her Old Blush rose.

Beautiful pass-a-long Iris from a friend.

One of the hosta beds is looking nice,

I hear the garden house will be getting a new color scheme.

I see fish.

A great looking azalea.

GARDEN TOUR

After the  District Master Gardener meeting on Saturday, we toured the Welty House Gardens. This is a beautiful native Azalea. You do not see as many of them in the woods anymore, so it is a treat to see this beautiful one.

I do not know the name of this beautiful azalea, but it is spectacular.

I love this entrance to the lower gardens.

Entrance to an even lower garden. This garden is really a series of terrace gardens if you will. All planted with hardy old fashioned plants.

IS SPRING ON THE WAY

Spring is popping out all over-or is it? Everyone seems to forget we still have blackberry winter to go through-and we always have a cold snap right around Easter. And Easter is the last of April! A pink daffodil is a little different. Now is the time to start planting gladiola's-plant some every two weeks and you will have blooms practically all summer.

DAFFODILS IN MY FRIGID GARDEN

A few daffodils to enjoy from my frigid garden!

DON'T PULL THOSE PLANTS UP!

Lots of calls and questions have been coming in due to the extreme weather we have been having here in Ms. We have experienced record breaking cold and some sleet and snow and ice. The main concern has been in the prolonged temperatures in the teens and twenties-and some cases single digits. A lot of plants and trees look bad-or even dead. I think the best thing to do is just leave them alone and wait for spring-some things will put out again even if they look like goners. As long as the roots don't freeze, things should be o.k. If a severe cold is predicted make sure evergreens are thoroughly watered. Of course at the moment at my house water is standing everywhere from the recent heavy rains! I know m ost of us don't want to lose plants and trees that we have grown and come to love, but that just means we can buy more and maybe better varieties-have to look for the positive!

GET YOUR SEED ORDERS READY

Hope everyone is staying warm in all of this cold weather. The seed catalogues are arriving, so just stay inside and dream and plan your seed/plant order for spring. I have been getting lots of inquiries about planting English peas. A lot of people plant in January, but please wait till this terrible cold front passes. Soak your peas overnight for quicker germination when you do plant. I have picked my first "mess" of broccoli and am looking forward to the Brussels sprouts. Of course I have been eating kale and spinach mustard all winter. I do not know how my lettuce will do in this extreme cold, but it has been delicious too. Stay warm and enjoy your seed catalogues-spring is coming!