Rudbeckia, commonly called black-eyed Susan, is one of several native Mississippi plants that provide food and shelter for pollinators and wildlife while contributing to environmental biodiversity. These rudbeckias were photographed in the Project Pollinator Wildflower Community Garden and Butterfly Waystation in Pearl River County. (File photo by MSU Extension Service/Kevin Hudson)
by Bronwynne Bailey
The Lafayette County Master Gardeners are hosting a Fall Lecture on Saturday, October 19 from 9:30 until 11 am. The presentation is in two parts and will be held at the Lafayette County-MSU Extension Office at 70 F. D. Buddy East Parkway. The program is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. If you have any questions, contact the Lafayette County Master Gardeners at lcmga38@gmail.com. Doors open at 9 am for registration and refreshments. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, October 19.
Name of presentation: The Flora of Yoknapatawpha, The Making of the Faulkner Literary Garden and Living with Natives and Nature’s Most Important Plant.
Presenter: Sherra Owen
Sherra is a Mississippi Master Naturalist, a Master Gardener, a member of the Garden Clubs of Mississippi, the Mississippi Native Plant Society, and is the curator of the William Faulkner Literary Garden.
Sherra is a Garden Lecture Series speaker and has been a popular native plant educator, tour guide, and speaker since 1986. Sherra and her husband, Ken, maintain a backyard native woodland garden and a mile trail through a mature riparian forest. They open their garden to the public in April where she educates about food, fun, folklore, medicinal value, and sustainability of native plants.
I have included some links below for those of you interested in native plants. Because native plants are adapted to local environmental conditions, they require far less water, saving time and money. In addition to providing vital habitat for birds, many other species of wildlife benefit as well.
Search for native plants by ZIP CODE! Enter your ZIP CODE to see a list of the native plants suited to your area.
For 50 years, NatureServe has been the authoritative source for biodiversity data throughout North America.
Extension Publications: Native Shrubs for Mississippi Landscapes – search for Publication 2334 (POD-07-21)
Extension Publications: Native Trees for Mississippi Landscapes – search for Publication 2330 (POD-07-18)
