WINTER INTEREST

WINTER IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE TIMES AS FAR AS SCENERY GOES. I LOVE THE LOOK OF THE MOSTLY BARE TREES AGAINST A WINTER SKY AND THE DRIED GRASSES ARE SO INTERESTING.
OF COURSE YOU NEED SOME GREENERY IN YOUR GARDEN, IT WOULD BE A VERY DULL PLACE WITH ALL BROWNS. THIS APIDISTRA AND THE HOLLY AND EVERGREENS FIT THE BILL NICELY.

MORE CHRISTMAS WREATHS

A FEW MORE PICTURES OF OUR WREATH MAKING CLASS. THE SQUARE ONE IS MADE ON AN OLD PICTURE FRAME. DIFFERENT AND A GOOD WAY TO RECYCLE. IT IS COVERED WITH CEDAR, WITH TOUCHES OF SPRUCE IN THE CORNER.

OUR RESIDENT BOW MAKER, WHO DOES SUCH A GOOD JOB MAKING BOWS FOR THOSE OF US THAT CAN'T SEEM TO DO IT.

MAKING WREATHS

WE HAD OUR ANNUAL WREATH MAKING CLASS LAST WEEK. EVERYONE'S TURNED OUT DIFFERENTLY.

MASTER GARDENERS BUSY WITH CLEAN UP .

DECORATE YOUR GARDEN FOR THE HOLIDAYS

DO YOU JUST DECORATE THE INSIDE OF YOUR HOME FOR CHRISTMAS? DON'T NEGLECT YOUR GARDEN,AS THERE WILL BE MANY NICE DAYS WHEN YOU WILL BE OUTSIDE,SO SPREAD THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT OUT THERE. THESE ARE PICTURES FROM JUDY'S GARDEN. THE GEORGEOUS ARRANGEMENT ABOVE IS ON HER GREENHOUSE DOOR. THE ONE BELOW IS VARIOUS EVERGREENS STUFFED IN ONE OF THE POTS AT THE ENTRANCE TO THIS GARDEN.

AREN'T THE TWO BELOW JUST SO MUCH FUN? SHE JUST FILLED HER BIRDBATH WITH VARIOUS EVERGREENS AND CHRISTMAS BALLS. SO ADD A FEW HOLIDAY BTOUCHES TO YOUR GARDEN.

WREATH MAKING CLASS

NEXT THURSDAY NIGHT, DECEMBER 9th AT 6 P.M. AT THE SCOTT COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE YOU CAN COME AND MAKE A FRESH CHRISTMAS WREATH.THERE WILL BE MASTER GARDENER'S TO ASSIST YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY IN MAKING YOUR WREATH. WE WILL HAVE REFRESHMENTS,CHRISTMAS MUSIC AND DOOR PRIZES. THE COST IS $2.00.WE WILL FURNISH WREATH FORMS, GREENERY AND WIRE. PLEASE BRING GLOVES AND PRUNING SHEARS.THE EXTENSION OFFICE IS BEHIND THE POST OFFICE IN FOREST. THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR THE MASTER GARDENERS HAVE DONE THIS PROGRAM FOR THE PUBLIC. PLEASE CALL THE EXTENSION OFFICE AT601-469-4241 TO PRE REGISTER, AS WE ONLY HAVE ROOM FOR ABOUT 15 PEOPLE. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.

SAVE THOSE GRAPEVINES

IF YOU SAVE YOUR GRAPEVINES WHEN YOU PRUNE THEM YOU WILL HAVE SOME NEAT FALL DECORATIONS. JUST COIL THEM UP AND SAVE THEM.

FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS

IS YOUR GARDEN BURNED TO A CRISP? MINE LOOKS PRETTY BAD EVEN THOUGH ALL I SEEM TO DO IN MY SPARE TIME IS DRAG A WATER HOSE. SINCE NOT MUCH IS GOING ON IN THE WAY OF FALL PLANTING, I THOUGHT I WOULD GIVE YOU HOPE OF BETTER TIMES BY SHOWING A FEW FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS I MADE BEFORE THE DROUGHT. THE FIRST ONE IS RUDBECKIA AND BUNNY TAIL GRASS AND WILD PURPLE BASIL. I HAVE ALREADY YANKED UP THE BASIL- MOST OF IT ANYWAY BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW IT WILL RESEED EVERYWHERE! tHE NEXT ARRANGEMENT IS CHIVE BLOSSOMS, SOUTHERN SHEILD FERN , MONKEY GRASS BLOOMS ,AND ROSES. THE LAST ARRANGEMENT I ACTUALLY MADE ABOUT A WEEK AGO WITH STUFF THE DRY WEATHER HASN'T AFFECTED TOO MUCH. IT IS ZEBRA GRASS,EUCALYPTUS, SOUTHERN SHEILD FERN,APIDISTRA,BUNNY TAIL GRASS, A FEW FEATHERS THROWN IN AND I SWEAR I AM DRAWING A BLANK ON THE SPOTTED LEAF STUFF! DOES THAT DRIVE YOU CRAZY WHEN THE NAME OF SOMETHING GOES RIGHT OUT OF YOUR HEAD? ANYWAY WE CAN DREAM OF RAIN AND FUTURE BEAUTIFUL GARDENS CAN'T WE?

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

DOES THIS LOOK WEIRD OR WHAT? THIS IS A JACK BEAN JUST EMERGING- THESE THINGS GET HUGE AND THE BEANS IN THEM ARE ABOUT TEN  TIMES THE SIZE OF A REGULAR BEAN. THEY HAVE BEAUTIFUL PURPLE FLOWERS AND THE VINE GETS HUGE AS WELL. CHILDREN LOVE THEM BECAUSE OF THE STORY OF JACK AND THE BEAN STALK- SO THEY ARE GREAT TO PLANT IN A CHILDRENS GARDEN. MINE HAS NOT DONE WELL THIS YEAR- AFTER OUR FLASH FLOOD WE HAVE HAD NO RAIN AT ALL FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS, SO EVERYTHING IS STRUGGLING TO STAY ALIVE. I HOPE THIS BEAN CONTINUES TO GROW SO I CAN SAVE THE SEED- THEY ARE HARD TO FIND AND THIS WAS MY LAST SEED.

YARD ART

SINCE EVERYTHING IS BURNING TO A CRISP IN OUR GARDENS- NO RAIN IN OVER A MONTH- I THOUGHT I WOULD SHOW YOU A LITTLE YARD ART. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE FOLIAGE OUR PLANTS ARE REALLY SUFFERING. HOPE YOURS ARE DOING BETTER!

MOONFLOWERS

IF YOU DON'T HAVE MOONFLOWERS GROWING IN YOUR GARDEN, YOU SHOULD PLAN ON IT FOR NEXT YEAR. THIS ANNUAL PLANTED IN MAY WILL MAKE A BEAUTIFUL VINE AND STARTS BLOOMING WHEN IT GETS HOT. THIS PLANT IS CALLED MOONFLOWER BECAUSE IT BLOOMS AT NIGHT. PLANT IT NEXT TO A DECK OR PORCH WHERE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ENJOY ITS BEAUTY AND FRAGRANCE . IN THE SOUTH THERE ARE ACTUALLY MOONFLOWER PARTIES- IN THE AFTERNOON ABOUT 4.30 OR 5 OCLOCK THE BUDS ON THIS FLOWER START TO QUIVER AND IF YOU STAND AND WATCH THEY WILL SLOWLY UNCURL AND BECOME A HUGE WONDERFUL SMELLING FLOWER.THEN THE PARTY BEGINS!

GETTING READY FOR WINTER

THIS IS MG JUDY'S GREENHOUSE. I UNDERSTAND SHE IS CLEANING IT OUT AND GETTING READY FOR WINTER. THESE COOLER DAYS ARE JUST RIGHT FOR SUCH TASKS- DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE WHEN FROST IS PREDICTED! THIS IS A GOOD TIME FOR CUTTING BACK AND MOVING PERENNIALS- DAYLILLYS ESPESCIALLY. IF YOU GET OUT EARLY THE SKEETERS ARE NOT TO BAD- REMEMBER TO SPRAY YOURSELF!

BOTTLE TREES

BOTTLE TREES HAVE BECOME QUITE POPULAR IN RECENT YEARS AMONG GARDENERS.BOTTLE TREES ARE AN OLD CUSTOM BROUGHT OVER BY SLAVES FROM THE CONGO. THE LEGEND IS THAT SPIRITS(BAD SPIRITS) ARE FASCINATED BY COLORED GLASS AND THEY WOULD GO INTO THE BOTTLES BUT COULDN'T COME OUT AND WERE KILLED WHEN THE SUN CAME UP AND SHINED IN THE BOTTLE. BLUE IS THE MOST POPULAR COLOR FOR BOTTLE TREES BECAUSE IT IS THE COLOR OF WATER AND SPIRITS CANNOT CROSS WATER. WHEN I LIVED IN LOUISIANA I NOTICED THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE TIED A BOTTLE TO EACH END OF A LONG STRING AND THREW THEM OVER THE BRANCHES IN THEIR TREES- THEY SAID THAT THE CLINKING OF THE BOTTLES WHEN THE WIND BLEW KEPT EVIL SPIRITS AWAY. I MUST NOT BE EVIL BECAUSE TO ME IT SOUNDED LIKE A LOVELY WIND CHIME.

MS GOURD FESTIVAL

THE MISSISSIPPI GOURD SOCIETY WILL HAVE A GOURD FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 17th AND18th AT THE SMITH COUNTY AG COMPLEX IN RALEIGH, MS. THE TIMES ARE 12NOON TO 6PM ON FRIDAY AND 8 TO 5 ON SATURDAY. THE ADMISSION IS 2DOLLARS. THERE WILL BE ALL KINDS OF GOURD ARTISTS WITH THEIR CRAFT AND MAKE AND TAKE BOOTHS AND DEMONSTRATIONS. FOR INFO VISIT www.mississippigourdsociety.org THIS PICTURE IS OF A GOURD IN MY GARDEN- A VOLUNTEER FROM WHO KNOWS WHERE.

HARLEQUIN GLORYBOWER

HARLEQUIN GLORYBOWER-BOTANICAL NAME:CLERODENDRUM TRICHOTOMUM IS A SMALL TREE ABOUT 10 tO 15 FEET TALL . THE LEAVES ARE LARGE AND SMELL LIKE THE VITAMINS I TOOK AS A CHILD WHEN THEY ARE CRUSHED BUT THE FLOWERS SMELL HEAVENLY. THIS IS ONE TOUGH TREE, I HAVE NEVER WATERED IT AND IT LIKES SHADE OR SUN. WHEN THE FLOWERS FALL OF, THE DARK BLUE BERRIES APPEAR. IT DOES HAVE A TENDENCY TO SUCKER, BUT THEY ARE EASY TO PULL UP TO SHARE WITH FRIENDS. IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN TO MYNELLE GARDENS IN JACKSON YOU HAVE SEEN THESE TREES- BUT IF THEY ARE NOT BLOOMING THEY ARE OFTEN OVERLOOKED.

SUMMER POINETTIAS

THIS IS AN OLD FASHIONED PLANT THAT NOT MANY PEPLE HAVE EVEN HEARD OF, MUCH LESS SEEN. IT IS AN ANNUAL-THAT WILL RESEED. IT BLOOMS AT THIS TIME OF YEAR AND IS GREAT FOR AN ARRANGEMENT. SO UNUSUAL LOOKING FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.