Today, I was talking to a local farmer, and after she told me about all the animals she is raising on her farm, I said: “My only livestock is my mockingbird.” And while I said that laughingly, it is true that I am a bit perplexed about the mockingbird that has become my best outside…
Month: February 2024
How to Make Sourdough Starter
Sourdough Starter: Dissolve 1 pkg. yeast in 1/2 cup water. Add- 2 cups flour, 1tsp salt, 3Tbl sugar, 2cups warm water. Mix all well and cover with cloth. Let stand 72 hours. Stir 2-3 times daily. Then refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature one hour before using To feed- Every 3 to 4 days –…
Vegetables I’m Growing in My Garden 2024
Kitchen Herbs Basil Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Image Credit: gardenia.net Catnip Catmint (Nepeta Cataria) Image Credit: Outsidepride Seeds Height: 24″ Catmint ‘Walker’s Low’ Nepeta (Nepeta faassenii) – 3 plants Image Credit: American Meadows Height: 24-30″ tall Chamomile Chamomile Image Credit: Wikipedia Height: 8″ – 24″ Chives Chives Image Credit: Farmer’s Almanac Height: 6″ – 8″…
How to Attract & Identify Backyard Birds in Mississippi Gardens
This spring, I will begin a concerted effort to attract more birds to my yard. At this point, what seems to be a solitary mockingbird is the most frequent flyer in my yard. Throughout the summer, I saw him skittering about one of my shrubs. I am surprised that I even noticed him. Mockingbirds are…
The Ruby Throated Hummingbirds Will Migrate through Mississippi in March – How Do I Prepare?
Image Credit: Mississippi State Agriculture Extension Attracting Hummingbirds to Mississippi Gardens “Many Mississippi gardeners enjoy attracting hummingbirds to the landscape. These active birds provide hours of entertainment for children and adults alike and display extraordinary abilities to turn, hover, and fly. The males of these high-octane bundles of energy exhibit beautiful plumage colors of red,…
Who Was Muddy Waters – A Delta Blues Musician from Mississippi
McKinley Morganfield (Muddy Waters, 1913-1983 McKinley Morganfield [Muddy Waters] was born in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, near the Mississippi River–in the region known as the Mississippi Delta. On the following map, Rolling Fork is near the bottom left of the yellow area. The Mississippi River is the crooked blue line near there, snaking along the side…
Elderberry in My Garden – Recipes & Memories from My Childhood – Native Plant
Elderberry – Mississippi Native People have asked me when my love of wildwood and gardening started. I can honestly say that I was born to love nature. Both my dad and his mother, my grandmother, were avid gardeners, and my dad was a forager and a beekeeper. My family spent many days rambling in the…
Herbs, Pollinators, Shrubs, and Flowers Planted in My Garden in 2024
I work in my garden almost every day, and planting is a continuum for me. I’ll start with December of 2023, when I planted 2 gallon-sized Zepherine Drouhin Roses. I planted them on each side of an entrance into my rose garden. I was a bit worried about how they would fare during the winter–especially…
Tips for Growing Vegetables in Containers
Jacki Kellum Garden – Raised Bed I garden in raised beds. In a way, my entire garden is a huge container. But for purposes of variety and to create height in places, I also grow some of my outside garden plants in containers. Container Planting in Jacki Kellum Garden Contents of the above container: Purple…
Daffodils, Jonquils, and Other Spring Bulbs in My Garden for 2024
Snowflakes (Leucojum) Image Credit: North Carolina State Extension Office “Snowflakes (Leucojum) have white bells and green dots and are very common pass-along bulbs in the South.” John Rushing Mississippi Gardening Facebook Post – February 16. 2024 Narcissi Miniature ‘Tete a Tete’ Daffodil Image Credit: Votaniki Lent lily (Narcissus pseudo narcissus) Image Credit: De Warrande Words…