Chandler – Best Strawberry Plant for Mississippi – Excellent Flavor

Chandler Strawberry “Bred Especially for Southern Growers! ‘Chandler’ strawberry plants are very popular with commercial growers because of their high yield, brilliant fruit color, and excellent flavor. Fruit is medium to large, long to flattish wedge, moderately firm, juicy berries with good flavor, freezes well. ‘Chandler’ plants are a vigorous, early, midseason variety and must…

Is My Mockingbird More than a Backyard Bird? Bird Symbolism

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…

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″…

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…

Pesto Recipes

Recipe for Classic Basil Pesto 4 to 6 Cloves Garlic 4 cups shredded fresh basil leaves 1 cup olive oil 1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, preferably a mix Salt “Place the…garlic, basil and oil in a food processor and blend as fine as possible. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and stir…

How to Grow Kentucky Wonder Pole Green Beans – Heirloom

Kentucky Wonder Pole Green Bean – Heirloom Image Credit: Burpee “You get big crops of sweet and always stringless pods. “Kentucky Blue is an All-America Selections winner that combines the excellence of the all-time greatest pole beans: Kentucky Wonder and Blue Lake. You get big crops of sweet, straight, stringless pods 7″ long. A heavy…