Talk it out
April brings inspiration at New Albany Home and Garden Show
April always arrives later and sooner than expected.
One day we are despairing that winter will never end. Then suddenly spring arrives like Superman on a mission — going faster than a speeding bullet.
Mild temperatures call us to our gardens where the need for weeding, bed preparation, planting and mulching is obvious.
But it’s so easy for me to postpone those chores in favor of day trips to purchase plants, visit gardens and hear inspiring educational talks that provide tasty fodder to feed this column.
In the last few years, I’ve enjoyed attending the New Albany Home and Garden Show, a two-day event that draws more than 3,000 people to the town of about 8,500 residents about an hour drive from eastern suburbs.
This year’s show, which takes place Friday and Saturday at the Union County Fairgrounds, features the always entertaining and informative Felder Rushing.
Rushing will share the podium with his friend, garden designer Rick Griffin, as they discuss “color in your yard” on Friday. He’s going solo on Saturday with a presentation on slow gardening with all of your senses.
Griffin, who designed Rushing’s celebrated garden in Jackson, Mississippi, also will make a presentation Saturday on landscaping.
Rushing, a former extension horticulturist, is a radio show host and the author of numerous books on gardening, including the classic “Passalong Plants” with Steven Bender.
As a speaker, Rushing is in demand all over this country and abroad, especially in England, where he spends about half the year.
Because his roots grow deep in Mississippi soil, he generously shares his wise and humorous experiences with gardeners in our region.
It would be a mistake to take his presence for granted.
Heavily represented on the program’s agenda are experts from Mississippi extension giving talks on pollinators, lawns, container vegetable gardening, mosquito and armadillo control, butterflies, food preparation and preservation and more.
As usual, the Friday luncheon featuring a floral designer is sold out. This year’s presenter is Lynette McDougald, the florist shop manager at Mississippi State University.
Union County master gardeners little more money and around take over the organization 1,000 folks attended. The year and presenting of the after that, the event expanded event, which is seven years to a day and a half and attracted old. even more.
Tim Burress, a garden writer, “Then my wife Janet radio talk show host and dreamed up the idea to offer organizer of the event until a luncheon and floral demonstration,” this year, has he said. retired from The 160 tickets sold out almost the volunteer immediately and attendance role. But he climbed again. shared the Now the show is considered event’s history one of the top three gardening with me. events in Mississippi.
Stanley Wise, Did I mention vendors? the Union County There will be lots of them extension selling unique garden-related agent, asked for items. his help in planning a one-day Gates to the free event open garden/farm day in 2008. at 11 a.m. Friday and 8 a.m.
“There was no budget, so Saturday. I started beating the bush to For a complete schedule of get sponsors,” Burress said. programs, go to New Albany “We thought we might have Home & Garden Show on about a hundred people, and Facebook . 500 showed up.” Be sure to check the Home
The next year, they got a & Garden Calendar for all of the events happening in and around Memphis in the coming weeks.
Saturday, Burress will be a vendor at the Tipton County Lawn & Garden Expo in Brighton, Tennessee.
Among the plants he will be selling are native milkweeds that attract monarch butterflies. Milkweed leaves of both the native and tropical varieties are the only food monarch caterpillars will eat.
Monarch butterfly support groups are urging gardeners everywhere to plant milkweed to ensure the survival of the orange and black winged butterflies.
Hours for the free event are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, go to tiptoncountymastergardeners.com.
Enjoy Nature on Easter
After the egg hunts, brunches and lunches, consider spending some of your Easter Sunday enjoying the beauty of nature.
You will no doubt see spring flowers almost anywhere you go in the outdoors this month.
But if you can, go to Dixon Gallery and Gardens to see the display of 150,000 spring flowering bulbs, including 70,000 tulips, most of them at their peak right now.
Swaths of three different kinds of white tulips wind through the lawn near the Hughes Pavilion. A river of muscari — the small blue purple grape hyacinths many of us receive free with bulb orders — flows near the galler y.
You need hundreds of grape hyacinths to make a big statement, but smaller amounts are effective when interspersed with tulips or daffodils.
Get inspired at the Dixon. It’s open from 1 to 5 p.m. today.