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Cummings and Goings in Agriculture

Cummings Looks Back On Years Spent With County

The old saying, “My how time has flown when you are having fun”, really hit home last weekend when I remembered it was 27 years ago on May 19 when I started to work with the Yalobusha County Extension Service.  It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago, so time does fly when you are having fun.  I am sure I thought when I moved to Yalobusha County that I would move on sooner or later, but I didn’t realize I would become so involved in the county and like it so much.  

Some things have remained close to the same and some things have changed.  We had a good 4-H horse program and still do.   We also had the best farmers in Mississippi and still do – now it’s the farmers’ sons.  Mamie Shields was the home economist, and now I am in charge of the MHV program.  I only wish I had more time to spend with these ladies.  I have been fortunate enough to begin with a good office staff and still have a good office staff. The years have been enjoyable, and that’s why I’ve never looked for a change.

Horticulture Tips:

Gardening in Small Spaces

 Have you ever lamented the fact that you just don’t have enough ground space to garden like you want to?  Well, don’t let that stop you. You can create a lush haven around your home with container gardens. Follow a few easy tips and you’ll be amazed at what a colorful, inviting setting you can create by simply arranging several planted containers together.

Want to grow a Few vegetables?  Not a problem

using containers.

Tip 1. Choose large containers. Select a container in scale for the setting or it will become lost in the overall design.  Containers should be bold and dramatic and be plenty large enough to accommodate the plants or plants you choose.  And always remember it’s usually better to err on the side of being too large than too small.

Tip 2. Build a theme. Choose containers that complement your home’s color and architectural details since these containers are elements that link the house and garden.

Tip 3. Create a cluster. Group several containers together and you can create more impact. Staggered height and size, groupings of containers in odd numbers, such as 3, 5, or 7 make pleasing arrangements.

Tip 4. Develop a sense of unity. Repeat the texture, bloom shape and color of the plants throughout the display to unify the garden and crate a visual flow. The plants don’t have to be identical, but share similar qualities.

Tip 5. Use layers to create depth.  Build more visual appeal by elevating plants so they are displayed at different heights. By stacking container plants on risers or overturned pots you can create combinations that wouldn’t be possible if they were all planted in the ground.

Summer officially starts June 21, or does it? Summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the U.S.A., happens then, but summer for meteorologists starts June 1. The national Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency actually says, “This corresponds to the Winter and Summer Solstice (solstice is Latin for “the sun stands”), or the midpoints of winter and summer.” So those of us who have been saying that it looks like summer started early this year aren’t as far off as you may think.

Speaking of summer, those summer vegetables should be thriving while the spring ones should still be doing well. The temperatures have not been so high to cause damage to anything but strawberries and other cool season crops, and they also not been low enough to harm anything, either. Even those notorious chill sensitive sweet potatoes and okra should be growing well. Water continues to be the limiting factor for most of our gardens.   

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