Plant Dork

07/10/2025

The lotus will be opening soon. Such a beautiful addition to the garden.

07/10/2025

I love growing to***co. It is so pretty. A real statement plant.
When I encounter horn worms on my tomato plants, I move them to the to***co plants so they can finish out their life cycle. They become beautiful moths. But, I also get to keep my tomatoes!

06/17/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Hhgg7Nuat/?mibextid=wwXIfr

06/16/2025

Since back in Mississippi, I had been doing my potting up at my sink-turned-potting-bench under a tree in the yard.
I decided to express imminent domain and claim part of the carport for my potting adventures.
Joseph, yesterday, added lights over my workspace. It is like the sun out there. A complete game changer.
Now, no matter the weather, no matter the time of day or night…I can get my plant fix! Plus, out of frame, is a giant fan that blows on me. Well, blows on me and the dogs…as illustrated below
Pretty much perfection, as I understand it.

06/12/2025

Pretty, stinky bloom!

05/14/2025

https://www.lsuagcenter.com/portals/our_offices/research_stations/redriver/features/louisiana-homesteader-conference/newsletters/homesteader-newsletter?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR6zyMXx5BdSFdwI1SA9NrNr-56lrMh2rJvXEH8goHuxGvhivEVN5csDnW-UcA_aem_uZME_0fxI7-IskYfkczZrw

In this issue: Honeybee Swarm Removal, Blackberries, Preserve the protein, Getting Chicks off to a good start, Tips from the farm, Nana's Corner, and more.

05/12/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DhFcR9YvB/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Join me this Saturday, May 17, 2025, at the Sportsplex Walking Trail in Laurel for a plant walk!

This is a beginners level plant walk where proper identification is the focus but we'll also discuss harvesting techniques, sustainable practices, historical and cultural uses, as well as, some medicinal uses of the species we come across.

As usual, if you'd like to join me, simply comment "Add me" and you will be added to a private Facebook Messenger group chat for this class. For the remainder of the week, in the group chat, I'll discuss things like what to expect, what you may want to bring or consider bringing, as well as, parking arrangements. After the walk, we will use the group chat for you to share pictures and ask questions to further understand some of the things we discussed while on the plant walk. These group chats are reserved for those attending so please refrain from being added unless you can attend.

Hope to see you there!

04/27/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BkKRUFWLd/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Registration for the Central Master Naturalist course is open but the window for applying is closing soon! 🌿🪶🥾

Learn more about course details and registration here: https://ow.ly/U4iG50VlISA

04/26/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15QxbL8Ao9/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Mississippi is home to numerous butterflies! Butterflies are pollinators, meaning they move pollen from one flower to another, fertilizing plants so they can reproduce. They’re both beautiful AND beneficial!

BUTTERFLY LIFE CYCLE
A butterfly’s life begins as an egg laid on a host plant. Usually, the eggs are laid on the bottoms of the leaves and can vary widely in shape, form, size, and color. Within 2 weeks, the tiny eggs hatch and tiny caterpillars emerge. The larva consumes the host plant’s leaves and will shed its skin as it grows. In about a month, the larva is ready to form a chrysalis (pupa). After a few weeks, the magical transformation takes place and an adult butterfly emerges. Most adult butterflies live for only a short time. Some species mate and live for just a few days; others are known to live over a year.

FOOD
Generally, there are two types of plants that you must have in your garden for butterflies. One type is a nectar plant; adult butterflies feed on these nectar plants. The second plant is a larval host plant; the immature stage (larva) feeds on this plant. When you plan a butterfly garden, you should plan for both types of plants. You can view our list of recommended nectar and larval plants on our website.

SHELTER
Butterflies need shelter from wind and rain, and a roosting place for the night. Shrub foliage is often used for protection and sleeping quarters. Create a butterfly shelter area by constructing a simple log pile in a corner of the back yard. Simply stack cut logs anywhere from 3 to 5 feet high. Be careful—this provides butterfly shelter but will also provide shelter for other wildlife.

04/11/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19pMwnrXuH/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Sign up now for HOW TO BUILD A BACKYARD POND on Saturday, April 19, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM! Learn how to install, maintain, and enjoy a backyard garden pond with Mike Keith, a pond-building expert and instructor for the new Landscape Management Technology program at Pearl River Community College. Mike is the former owner of Waterflow Productions, with 25 years of experience installing landscapes, hardscapes, irrigation systems, and water gardens for residential and commercial clients. Members $5, non-members $10. (Photo source: Mike Keith) Please use this link to sign up: https://reg.extension.msstate.edu/view/view_month.aspx?as=81&wp=662&aid=MSU

The Mississippi State University Extension Crosby Arboretum will provide reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities or special needs. Please contact our office at 601-799-2311 Ext. 0 or email [email protected] or [email protected] prior to a program or event to request reasonable accommodation. Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution.