BROOKHAVEN — Mississippi will celebrate Arbor Day a couple of months earlier than the rest of the country. Governor Tate Reeves proclaimed Feb. 9 as Arbor Day and the week of Feb. 9 to Feb. 15 as tree planting week. 

Buds and Blooms Greenhouse and Gardens LLC is a local business who can help you get started on a garden or planting. Located at 3074 MS-550 NW, Wesson, the garden and nursery center is ramping up for the start of spring. 

Leah Case said she has worked there for 20 years and the business has been around for 25 years now. 

“I love it. It is a great Christian environment. We put God first in everything. He is the reason it is a success. We are all a big family,” Case said. “We have about 20 employees and it takes a lot of people to run it.” 

February is one of the busiest months of the year. Customers are busy buying perennials, annuals, shrubbery and fruit trees. 

“We start ramping up. We have employees here working hard to get everything ready. We offer a large selection from January to March,” Case said. “All throughout October we start growing for the spring. It just never ends, there is always something that needs to be growing. We don’t take off unless we get snowed in. We are here growing or maintaining.” 

February is a great time to purchase fruit trees going into the spring. These trees provide some sort of benefit for humans, soil and wildlife. 

This year’s Arbor Day follows a challenging drought in Mississippi which could continue to negatively impact trees. Recently, Brookhaven announced the park by Lipsey Middle School would be closed Monday due to the need to remove dead trees. 

Pine trees stressed by the drought have fallen subject to beetle attacks which are killing pine trees. Loblolly, Shortleaf, Slash and Longleaf pines are all threatened by beetles. 

People may need to replant trees in stands affected by beetles. 

Case said she knows customers who will stop buying to replant any trees or shrubs they might have lost in the past year. 

“Now is a great time for any type of tree. It is the perfect time to plant trees,” Case said.  January was a good time but this February with the rain we have had. Now is a good time. We have the biggest selection. You will find what you are looking for. It is a good time to plant anything.” 

Buds and Blooms offers anything from blueberries, blackberries, peaches, pears, apples, plums, oaks, ashes, conifers, dogwoods and crepe myrtles and many other species of trees. The garden’s eatery features hamburgers on sourdough buns, homemade chicken salad, pimento and cheese, coffee and a BLT. Case said the produce used to make the sandwiches are grown in house. 

At the beginning of March, Case said they will have a spring open house from March 1st to March 2nd. There will be specials, door prizes, seminars and people can enjoy lunch in the gardens at the Sno Station and Eatery. 

“We usually have refreshments and drinks. It will be a packed house. It is a good time,” Case said. “We are praying for good weather… We appreciate the customers and can’t wait to see everyone in the spring. I love seeing all of the people who shop with us and have been coming here for 20 years. We look forward to seeing everyone.”

 

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to show that the tree sale scheduled for Feb. 22 at the Lincoln Civic Center will not take place this year. Kati Smith of the Soil and Water Conservation District/Natural Resource Conservation Service said the sale has been canceled due to rising costs, but hopefully will be offered in 2025.