Cummings and Goings in Agriculture
The Yalobusha County 4-H Program has been extremely busy this past week. The 4-H horse exhibitors have just completed the district show and the results will be in next week’s column. Nine 4-Hers competed in the North Mississippi 4-H cookout contest last week in Winona.
Fifth place winners were Hayden Harbour in junior expensive steaks, Casey Byford in senior expensive steaks, and Tyler Kimzey in junior pork chops. Fourth place winners were Hunter Dorris in junior expensive steaks, and Bud Adams in senior pork chops. Third place finishers were Storm Lassiter in senior inexpensive steaks and J.W. Pipkin in senior pork chops.
Delta Gill won second place in senior chicken and will compete in Jackson on July 9 for the right to represent Mississippi in the Southern Regional Contest in Louisville, Kentucky later this year. Yalobusha County’s lone first place winner went to Mark Beshears in inexpensive steaks. This was a very competitive contest and our young people did well. Congratulations to all of them.
The Yalobusha County 4-Hers will have one more chance to practice before the State 4-H Horse Show. There will be a timed event horse show on July 6th. The actual show will start at 8 p.m. Come watch the horses run, and as usual, the admission is free.
The scattered rains have just about helped everything in the county. But, as you know, you can hardly have too much rain in the summers unless it comes all at once. Hopefully, we’ll get more rains soon.
Beat the Heat by Gardening Indoors with Mini-Versions of Favorite Houseplants
When it is too hot outside to garden, stay inside and garden! All gardeners have at least a few houseplants that remain in the house even during the summer. If you are one of these houseplant folks, we have even more choices now, especially if your available indoor growing space is limited.
Many common houseplants have miniature versions that perform just like the big boys but take up less space. Below is a list of plants by light exposure for your indoor gardening pleasure. You can enjoy your plants and stay cool indoors!
South-facing Windows
Living Stones-Lithops spp. These plants are 1-2” and look like little pebbles in shades of green, brown, pink, and purple.
Fond of fuchsias? How about ‘Tom Thumb,’ ‘Buttons and Bows,’ or ‘Little Jewel.’
The flower size is reduced, but the quantity of blooms is not. Plus, mini fuchsias are more likely to bloom in winter, when you need something colorful close by.
Pelargonium’ Grey Sprite’ is a 6-8” fancy geranium with red flowers above grayish leaves with pink-tinged white borders.
Passiflora citrina is a 1-2’ passionflower with a vining habit and lemon yellow flowers.
East and West-facing Windows
The teddy bear vine, Cyanotis kewensis remains 8-10” and makes a dense mound of felted triangular chocolate-toned leaves.
Begonia ‘Small Change’ is a small (3-6”) rhizomatous begonia with tiny red-backed platinum leaves.
The emerald ripple peperomia, P. caperata forms a 10” mound of metallic green foliage.
Fittonia verschaffeltii, the nerve plant, is only 8-10” and forms a creeping mound of dark, pink- veined leaves.
North-facing Windows
Hedera helix ‘Itsy Bitsy,’ the miniature bird’s foot ivy is only 6-10” and makes small bush mounds of tiny dark green pointed leaves.
Spreading clubmoss, Selanginella kraussiana, forms a 1-2” dense, creeping mat of tiny leaves.
Doodia media, the rasp or hacksaw fern remains 6-12” tall. Rosettes of narrow fronds start pink and then turn dark green.
Nephrolepsis cordifolia ‘Duffii’ is a lemon button fern that has small round leaves in pairs on upright fronds 8-10” tall.
Check your local garden center or nursery for these plants or check mail order plant nurseries online. A couple of mail order nurseries include: Glasshouse Works, PO Box 97, Stewart, OH 45778; Logee’s Greenhouses, 141 North Street, Danielson, CT 06239; The Violet Barn, PO Box 9, Naples, NY 14512.
