Jason and Shelley Powell

Jason and Shelley Powell own and manage Petals From the Past, a garden center in Jemison, Alabama.

  • seeds to sow in fall
    South Regional Reports

    Sow Seed in Fall for Annuals in Spring

    It might sound counterintuitive, but when the possibility of cooler weather arrives in fall, it’s time to think about spring flowers. Some of the best spring bloomers only do well…

  • scarlet lady runner beans
    South Regional Reports

    Reliable Vegetables for Fall in the South

    In our part of the South, “fall” is more an idea than an actual season. It’s hot, hot, warm, and then one night there is a hard freeze. We’ve been…

  • orange summer blooms
    South Regional Reports

    Orange Blooms Brighten the Southern Summer Garden

    Shouldn’t the summer garden announce the fact that it’s summer? Aren’t whites and blues false advertising? How about a pop of color that announces it is hot outside and we…

  • Tropical-Looking Plants
    South Regional Reports

    Tropical-Looking Plants for Hot Southern Summers

    To us, tropical-looking plants are plants that thrive in the heat and that add a lot of bright color to the summer garden. They are perennial but disappear for the…

  • hydrangeas for the south
    South Regional Reports

    Stunning Hydrangeas for the Southern Garden

    Hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp. and cvs., Zones 4–10) seem to be a necessary part of every Southern garden. Those big, billowy blue flowers under tall trees in shady gardens look cool…

  • container roses
    South Regional Reports

    Great Rose Varieties for Growing in Containers

    Every gardener needs to grow at least one rose (Rosa spp. and cvs., Zones 2–11), although sometimes the only sunny spot in the yard is a concrete patch. Most roses…

  • early-flowering perennials
    South Regional Reports

    Early-Flowering Perennials for the South

    March is the starting line at the beginning of the race called spring. It seems that once spring begins, it speeds up until suddenly it is summer. Early-flowering perennials offer…

  • shrubs for screening
    South Regional Reports

    Evergreen Shrubs for Screening

    During the coldest months of the year in the South, when most of the leaves have fallen, it often becomes apparent where in your garden you could use some evergreen…

  • plants on a windowsill
    South Regional Reports

    Windowsill Plants for Winter and Beyond

    Once it gets cold, our English gardening side argues a lot with our South Texas side. One half thinks gardening is a necessary year-round activity; the other half thinks going…

  • winter plant for birds
    South Regional Reports

    Winter Plants for Birds in the South

    Winter is a tough time to be a bird. Many of the fruits that linger into winter farther north are long gone before the first cold front blows through our…