34th Annual Fall Flower and Garden Fest

      The 34th annual Fall Flower and Garden Fest is Oct. 5 and 6 at MSU’s Truck Crops Experiment Station in Crystal Springs.  The event is open each day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
      This festival celebrates everything about the garden and is one of the best free horticulture field days in the entire Southeast.  The weekend event offers something for the entire family.  All of the Experiment Station gardens and grounds, seminar areas and wagon tours are handicapped accessible. Vendors will be selling food and drinks at the event for lunch.
         This year’s theme of “Healthy Living – Healthy Gardening” will kick off at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 5 with a 1-mile fun walk organized by the Let’s Go Walkin’ Mississippi initiative.
       The 3-acre garden site will offer everyone from garden novices to Master Gardeners lots to see and learn. Visitors can view a great selection of tough roses, ornamental grasses, tropical plants, and of course, fall vegetables and herbs.
      Mississippi Medallion winners and plants from the All-America Selections program will be featured. The tropical garden, with its giant banana plants, is a favorite of visitors every year.
     Numerous educational activities are planned as well. Master Gardeners and MSU specialists will present non-stop seminars and exhibits on managing ponds, beekeeping, composting, creating backyard habitats, establishing flower trails and growing favorite garden plants.
       Walking tours will allow visitors to investigate research projects at the branch station. The project on agri-ability will show ways those with decreased mobility can access the garden. Other tour topics include insects and diseases, high tunnels, and vegetable gardening.
       Across the lake, vendors will sell popular, new plants perfect for fall planting and must-have landscape accessories.
      I will be there along with other horticulture experts from MSU to answer tough garden and landscape questions. Most experts will be wearing blue vests.
    The Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station is located south of Crystal Springs about 25 miles south of Jackson on Highway 51.  Turn on to  Experiment Station Road
Crystal Springs, MS 39059 across from the Rolling Hills Country Club.

Fall Greens Garden

Red Giant mustard

   The drought and heat have finally broken.  It’s time to start planting cool-season vegetable crops such as radish, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and other greens crops. 

 Try something different this fall.  Grow some greens crops are decorative as well as tasty.

 

'Red Bor' kale has crinkly red leaves that turn a deep burgundy in fall. 'Red Russian' kale has blue-green leaves with attractive red veins

 'Bright Lights' Swiss chard features dark green leaves with colorful ribs of red, yellow, pink, or white.

If you like mustard greens, try ‘Red Giant’ or ‘Osaka Purple’ varieties. Their different color is eye-catching.

There are many types of leaf lettuces that will produce fast crop.  ‘Black Seeded Simpson’ lettuce is a perennial favorite.  Or try oak leaf types in green or red for a different look. 

Spinach is great cool-weather crop that grows much better in the fall than in the spring.  Try growing the crinkle-leaved 'Tyee' or 'Winter Bloomsdale'.

 
      You do not have to relegate these crops to the vegetable garden. You can remove tired flowers from containers and pop in some turnip or lettuce seeds. Or replace your annual flower beds with colorful, edible ornamental greens.
 

If you’d like more information fall vegetable growing, contact your local Mississippi State University Extension Service office and we’ll do our best to ensure you have a successful fall garden.