Louisiana Gal...I read another one of your posts....a welcome back home post....and wanted to say hi. I'm from St. Bernard parish and live not too far from you in Olive Branch, MS. Starting my garden in my new home we bought up here after Katrina and these have done well for me.

Blue girl- leggy but bloomed like crazy. I like her for cutting

Marilyn Monroe- a mean thorny Heifer but the blooms were so creamy and beautiful .....I love her.

Royal amethyst- it's a standard tree rose....does great.

I bought a mississippi rainbow for $2.50 in a body bag from freds...LOL and it did very well....the color wasn't "rainbowed" like the pic but soft and blended....I like her anyway.

My best producers are by far the inexpensive white "flower carpet" roses from HD.....I know crazy but they had no thrip problems and the heat didn't seem to bother them last year.

Gourmet popcorn didn't do too bad either.

Peach of course did great and so did my DH's fave double delight.

i have a few more but these were my faves....

Hi BlueBetty! Well I know you understand what I've been through. Where did you live? I lived in Violet (Oak Ridge Park, one of the first homes there) but grew up on Pecan Drive by Chalmette High. Without a garden to plant and tend to, I would not have made it. I've been kind of depressed lately, mainly becoz I haven't been to visit my mom, sister, brother lately (Mom is coming up next week I hope, she's now in Stone county), the middle of winter is very rough on me, and Mardi Gras came and went, really making me miss home. Best regards, Laurie

Laurie, I grew up in Old arabi but married a chalmette boy who grew up around chalmette high and we bought a home in Buccaneer villa 1 yr before the storm. we almost bought a home in Angelique estates in violet but decided not to. I love it up here...Not sure that Tupelo is like but Olive branch is alot like mandeville. we were able to buy a brand new house after the storm for only 10,000 more than the house we had that needed SO much renovations. I mostly miss the people and I have no fam or friends up here but I get sad when I visit home....It's just not as far along as I would have expected it be by now. my son was 5 months when the storm hit so I try to do mardi Gras stuff up here with him...we made King cakes for mardi gras and I printed out color sheets.

where is stone county? In Mississippi? I know what's it's like to be home sick....I know what it means to miss new Orleans...can't wait till spring to busy myself with my garden. :) do you grow any fruits or veggies...I'm starting my edible garden this year

Stone County is in Wiggins, MS., north of Gulfport.

Stone County is one of the 6 coastal counties, although not right on the water. she lives right between hattiesburg and gulfport.
I'm glad you like Olive Branch, never been there yet.
I have started to grow some edibles, tomatoes were my best success, but a few okra, watermelon, beans, peas. I will try again this year.

thanks....Used to go to Hattiesburg alot to stay at Paul B johnson state park.

What tomatoes have you had success with. I did alright with mine last year but they didn't have a good flavor.....maybe I'm too used to the creoles.

If you decided to visit Olive branch Let me know.

You know, the tomato was just a regular Walmart transplant, from the grower Bonnie (?) but the taste did remind me of Creole.