Billy Joe Landrum sits in the den of his home on Highway 15 North, eating fig preserves his son-in-law put up which came from a tree in his yard — a yard which grows innumerable flowers, shrubbery and fruit trees which bear plums, peaches, pears, cherries, apricots, nectarines, lemons, bananas, and about 200 stalks of sugar cane. There’s also a half-acre vegetable garden in the back which had everything, and now, like most gardens, only has okra left.

Nothing in the garden which spans about four acres in the front, sides and back of the house is over four and one-half years old. That’s when he discovered he had a green thumb.

His friend, John Parker, called him one day and asked if he wanted to ride to a Franklinton, LA nursery with him. Landrum, the 18th Judicial District’s Circuit Judge for the past 21 years, checked his docket, saw a blank page and went with Parker. “I saw all these beautiful nurseries and plants,” he said. He came back with crepe myrtles, and azaleas Mexican petunias.

There are now about 200 crepe myrtles which he planted from rootings he took from the originals. Parker suggested that Landrum plant the first Mexican petunias at the base of the mailbox near the highway, saying everyone would ask what it was. When people see a bright purple which blooms in the morning, drop its petals and starts repeats the entire procecdure every day through the first front, they want to know what it is.

“I didn’t start all this until about four and a half years ago in the springs,” Landrum said. “I’ve had pretty good luck. I learned everything from him (Parker). I call him anytime I’ve got a question.” Parker does landscape, is one of five members of the Mississippi Oil and Gas Board and is the head of the Jones County Republican Party.

“We don’t talk politics, and I also don’t talk about cases that I hear,” Landrum said. He believes that maintaining objectivity is one of the most important aspects of being a judge. “I promised the lawyers when I ran the first time that I would be fair and objective. I don’t talk about cases outside of the courtroom.” Everything court-related he does, including phone conferences with attorneys conducted sometimes instead of in-court hearings and motions is always maintained by a court reporter for the official record. “Anything else is ex parte,” or improper contact with a court by one side without notice to the other.

“Once a case is finished, I walk out of the courtroom and it’s over,” Landrum said. “When I came home, I never talked about lawsuits with my family. After I became a judge, I never discussed cases with my family. We also had more important things we were interested in. When I get home after work, I change into work clothes, I get on the golf cart and ride around, looking at everything and enjoying it, and seeing what needs to be done.” His two sons live close, on family land, and his daughter lives next door. His Jack Russell terrior, “Parker,” accompanies him on his rounds on the golf cart.

Now serving the second year of his ninth term, Landrum was county judge for 12 years prior to his election as circuit judge. “I enjoy the work,” he said. “I feel like with my experience I can put more on the record in a day than others can do in a week. One thing I believe in is not embarrassing a lawyer in front of his client. If I have something to say to a lawyer about his conduct in court, I take a break and talk to him in my office. We’ve got good lawyers in Jones County and they all work hard.”

The Landrum family had chicken houses on the property, 300-400 head of cattle, but switched over to growing pine trees about about 26 years ago. The trees were thinned when they were 10 years old, and again at 20. But Hurricane Katrina put an end to the harvest of a 30-year-old plantation pines. The storm wiped out 200 acres of 25 to 26-year-old pines. “We bulldozed and replanted,” he said. “There are very few areas left where there is enough to harvest, but hopefully, we will harvest them when they’re 30 years old.”

Landrum also lost five pecan trees to Katrina, including two which ended up on the house. He also lost several Bradford pear trees and most of his shrubbery, including the flowers.

A lemon nearly the size of a grapefruit hangs on a plant in a container on the patio. A nearby lime tree is barren of fruit. The same tree produced over 100 or more large, sweet and juicy limes last year. The 10 banana trees will bear fruit, if there’s not too much rain, and will die from frost, preventing them from ripening. There are 200 stalks of sugar cane, but the crop will be centrally located to a big patch next year, and will provide fresh syrup.

The judge doesn’t see retirement as an option in the near future. “I will work as long as I can make a contribution to society,” he said.