I am so sorry for your loss. I am from the Gulf Coast area. My family was still there. We were so incredibly fortunate that my immediate family is okay. My cousins, aunts, and uncles, and friends lost their homes. We relocated to NC about 10 years ago. We pulled together two semi-trucks of supplies and sent to the St. Bernard parish area. You should read my webpage I created on my business website http://www.balddog.com. If you need help, please contact me. My family is helping those in need in your area.

Louisianagal, so sorry to hear about your losses. I'm in Georgia, but my mom is in Memphis & a bunch of relatives live in northern Mississippi. I do know that it gets a little hotter there in the summer and a little colder in the winter than it does around Atlanta, but the conditions are pretty similar. I think the Southern Living plant book would work for your new area. If you can get a copy of it, the Georgia Gardener's Guide is great for zone 7 gardening. I would think any of Felder Rushing's books would be good for north Mississippi. For trees and shrubs you can't beat Michael Dirr's books (see if you can get them from the library - they are EXPENSIVE - for good reason). Also Alan Armitage's perennial book is great for the south.

The best thing I can think of is to get catalogs from some of the good zone 7 nurseries and see what they offer. You know there just has to be a garden club of some kind in Tupelo - it's too southern not to have one.

Spend the winter curled with the garden books, dreaming of next spring, and know that the best wishes of gardeners everywhere are with you.

Thanks for writing. Once we got here and knew we would be staying awhile I couldnt' believe I was north of Atlanta here in Miss! I find it is much drier here so I guess I will have to irrigate more. Of course, I haven't spent an entire gardening year here yet, so who knows. I did have the excellent Southern Living Book and of course lost it in the flood. I have a Louisiana book so I will have to give that to someone once I'm sure we're really staying here for good. Looks that way.
I worry that I won't be able to enjoy the garden all year as I did in ST Bernard. But I see there are some pretty evergreens and Christmas-type trees so I will have to incorporate that. And evergreen shrubs. Alot of the backbone plants are same here, like nandina, crepe myrtle, azalieas, and lantana. Not sure about camellias here, havent' really noticed any. Fall/winter will tell as I'm sure I'll notice them if they are here.

Louisianagal

Well camellias should do well. They'll be starting to bloom here pretty soon. If you have never had them, plant hellebores orientalis (Lenten roses). They are evergreen and get blooms a little before the daffodils start. They bloom for a couple of months. You could also try autumn ferns - they're evergreen. I'm not much on winter gardening, so can't help you a lot. My mom grows arum italicum for winter (they go dormant in summer). I like cyclamin in the winter. The best winter plant I know is daphne odora (wonderful late winter scent), but it's hard to grow and keep happy. I grow mine in big pots because it's the only way I have ever been able to give them the drainage they require. Some people have success planting them in a mound of soil conditioner on top of the regular soil. You certainly won't have the year-round gardening that you had in Louisiana. But you'll get to see a good bit of snow. Have fun.

Let's hope you have a good library near by. They might have books that will be very suitable for that particular location. I know that ours has some that were written by local gardeners and garden clubs. Perhaps there would be something similar in the libraries there. I think that you have undertaken a big step in starting over. I wish you well. Nothing can replace what you lost, but the beauty of a lovely garden can help ease the pain.

Louisianagal, I'm so sorry to hear of your losses, but glad to hear you're going to continue gardening. It will be slightly different in your new region, but I think you'll find you can still grow many of your old favorites, plus many plants that you could not in Louisiana. You should still be able to grow crape myrtle, and I believe you'll find you will have a winder range of roses from which to choose. And, yes, you can grow magnolias up here, too ... there are even varieties native to NJ.

Here along the coast of southern New Jersey, we're also in USDA Zone 7. (Betcha didn't know part of NJ is actually south of the Mason-Dixon line!) For winter color, the needled and broadleaf evergreen trees/shrubs are great, but don't overlook evergreen perennials and groundcovers. Candytuft, crane's bill geranium, the aforementioned hellebores, scotch broom (burkwoodi is nice) and one of my favorites: Montauk daisy ... blooms October into November and leaves are quite winter hardy. Spring-flowering bulbs: Snowdrops come up first here, I'd not make it through winter without them! Their green shoots are always up by the end of December, and the tiny white flowers nodding in the garden sometimes as early as January, right through ice and snow. Another whole category is plants that have winter interest - colorful or exfoliating bark, twisted branches, interesting seed pods and berries (for the birds).

You're setting out on a new adventure - enjoy the process. Your opportunity/challenge will be bringing the grace of Southern gardens to a cooler climate. After three wonderful trips to New Orleans, I know I've brought back many ideas for my own yard ... now if only I could grow one of those gorgeous live oak trees!

Best of luck to you ... enjoy your winter reading and planning!

Diane

Actually, in the Tupelo area you're only about an hour's drive from Tennessee, so check out what's going on just to the north of you too. We have a regulars on the TN forum from north MS since we share the same types of gardening conditions. If you need plants to get started on your new garden, do not fail to come to the Middle Tennessee plant swap in May. I can guarantee you that even if you don't have anything to bring, you'll go home with a car full.

Hi louisianagal. Sorry about your losses. We are about 60 miles north of New Orleans and were very fortunate. Only some minor damage, lost one huge oak, and, of course, a lot of inconvience.

When you get started again let me know. I have daylilies, which should do well in North Mississippi. I also have irises. Just let me know and I will send you some.

Another Louisianagal,
Sharon

Louisianagal, so sorry for your loses!!!! :( I have some friends from Delocrow Island named Helen and Shine and I haven't heard from them and I have worried and worried if they were ok! They lived right over the levee at the end of the world they call it. I have no way to contact them since this has happened because everyone says there's nothing there now. :( Sitting here crying as I type thinking about it. They are such good friends to us and I only knew them and their daughter Carla. Carla last accounts I had of lived in Collins,Ms. but I don't know her married name! :( I have prayed and prayed that they would be safe and ok wherever they are. I have looked on the sites they have for missing people and haven't found anything.
Maybe someone on here will know them. We used to live in Chalmette years and years ago and my DH worked with her husband Shine at Amax nickle in Violet and that's how we all met. We haven't been to see them in forever it seems like now. We'd wanted to go last year AND the year before but something came up that we couldn't go. Anyway they are still in my prayers that they are safe!!!
Rose

Hey Gal

I'm from Chalmette and moving back. It's where my grandchildren will be. Hopefully, it will be over 40 years again before another storm hurts us like this one and Betsy did.

The folks who've written on this thread have got to be the kindess people around!

I sure hope those folks from "Da Island" are OK. You know what's crazy? My wife and I have not shed one tear over our losses and yet, I can hardly type through the tears when I read about the losses of others.

You remember how our county agent Skuddy LeBanc was a champ to deal with and his wealth of info? Well, I betcha there's one just like him in Ole Miss.

Gal, I'm sure we must have crossed paths in all these years and, I just know that Da Parish will not be quite as good since you left!

May our Lord God pour his blessings on you and yours forever. May he bless you with peace, contentedness, and rest! Lord, not only what she needs but, the desires of her heart.
Ray Gremillion

I am another displaced gardener, at least in the long run. I returned to NO in October but now am in the process of moving to Gadsden, Alabama. Lots of stuff will grow here that won't in NO, and I am looking forward to trying new stuff! I want to try Hollyhocks, for instance.