I am a newbie also in south Ms and i too wants to know what and when to plant for fall gardening. thanks

Hi Wendy, Yes, that's the one. It was the class project of floriculture students in their "Interior Plantscapes" course at North Shore Community College/Essex Agricultural & Technical Institute. I'm not in that course (I'm taking floral design), but volunteered to be grunt labor. It was fun helping. It was the first time I ever was behind the scenes at a flower show. So now I know what happens to the plants afterward... Here's the scoop: - Expensive and specimen plants go back with the landscapers to their greenhouses to wait out the chilly weather until it's safe to go outside. Gorgous mature trees and shrubs were no way going to be thrown out. Some of them were worth $thousands. - Anything of use or value, such as accessories, rocks, decor, was taken back by exhibitors. - cheapo and disposable plant materials such as common flowering bulbs, annuals and inexpensive tropical plants get thrown out. Exhibitors were throwing out stuff they used to fill in cracks between rocks, like succulents, mosses and small bulb flowers. There were also water hyacinths being tossed from water features. Over in the vendor area, some of the orchid sellers were giving away damaged plants. An herb seller marked everything down to $1 a pot. For the NSCC we threw out most of the annuals and bulbs because they were getting lanky and weren't worth the effort of coddling (we saved some annuals such as sweet alyssum and English Bella daisies for a fundraising plant sale at the Aggie, since they'll bloom all season) and biennials that were blooming and at the end of their cycle. We tossed the sheets of perennial rye that covered the table. Mass. Hort. volunteers were patrolling the floors in search of goodies! They politely asked whether they could have some of the plants, and were rewarded with all the bellas and alyssum they could tote. A gentleman asked for the snapdragon and verbascum flowers as a bouquet, and we snipped them for him, but tossed the plants. The lamb in your photo was part of a pair (one black, one white) of eight-week-olds loaned for the exhibit by a farm couple from Acushnet. I met them on Thursday night before the show when we were setting up. The wife was worried because the lambs had never been away from their mother, and they bleated ALL evening and probably the night. By the time I saw them the next week, they were settled down and resigned to being on display. By the final Sunday, they looked tired and ready to go home. I was glad their owners rescued them! I also watched the workers at another display catching the ornamental swans to take home. Poor things didn't want to go. They liked their paradise.

It depends on where you are. We have had various forms of precipitation for the last 3 days. The cats are going stir-crazy looking for a door that doesn't have nasty wet stuff on the other side. So there already is plenty of moisture. In fact, mulch would be too wet. We'll dry out sometime in April, probably.

I will be sending out all the prizes today, so everyone start looking for them in a couple days. Please post here when you have received your prize so I know everyone has received theirs. Winners of the games. Sign up game - Mary Fill in the Blanks - Nicole Sent and received. Dog/Cat - Mary Pet Bingo - Promise Big Wind - Erica 2nd Fill in the Blanks - Nikki Shirley, I'm so happy you were given the ok to walk on your foot. I know some days will be very trying for you, but here is some advice I was given ... Take it one day or one hour or one minute at a time. Keep breathing. If you can, journal about your struggle. Once in a while look back at your journal, sometimes that is the only way to see your true progress. Truly, this advice has worked for me. Beautiful pictures everyone. My garden is in full bloom and I'm loving it! Margo, a wedding in 2 months ... how wonderful! Nikki, keep looking, you will find it. We had a wonderful 4th of July Week. We were at the cottage with friends and family. It was a very FULL week. We had a Birthday, Graduation, and a an Engagement to celebrate and of course the 4th! Our daughter made it in from Boston for a couple of days ... that was the best part! Been missing all of you these last couple of days ... seems so funny after a month of being here everyday. sharon