Covington garden show scheduled for March 20-21

The 2015 Northshore Garden and Plant Sale will take place March 20-21 at the Covington Fairgrounds.  The show will open at 8 a.m. and close at 4 p.m. with educational presentations at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. LSU AgCenter personnel and industry professionals will speak on topics such as weed control, irrigation and garden diseases.

Admission is $5 per person, with children under 12 entering free.  Proceeds from the show will fund the Bobby Fletcher Sr. Memorial Scholarship, a monetary award for a St. Tammany high school graduate who attends a Louisiana college to study agriculture.

For more information contact William Afton at 985-875-2635 or wafton@agcenter.lsu.edu

Writer: Johnny Morgan: See the latest LSU AgCenter news at www.LSUAgCenter.com

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Gourmet in the Garden scheduled for May 1

Dining with the local flavors of Louisiana among the blooms and under the stars will be featured during Gourmet in the Garden: A Progressive Dinner in the Garden at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden on May 1 from 7 to 10 p.m. The LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden is located in Baton Rouge at 4560 Essen Lane at I-10.

Guests will enjoy creations from local restaurants prepared with locally grown products in a lush green setting with music and blooms.The progressive dinner will feature tastings in the Steele Burden Memorial Orangerie as well as the Orangerie Gardens and the Rose Garden. Gourmet foods will be prepared by award-winning chefs, Kuehny said.The evening will include beverages from Louisiana’s best local breweries and distilleries and a student chef cook-off, he said. And guests will be invited to vote for the People’s Choice awards for best chef creations.Delicious desserts prepared by students from the Louisiana Culinary Institute and live music by the Rusty Yates band will finish off the evening in the pavilion.

The event is sponsored by the LSU AgCenter, Burden Horticulture Society and the Louisiana Culinary Institute. Proceeds benefit educational programs at the AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden and the Louisiana Culinary Institute Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships for Louisiana Culinary Institute students.Tickets are $60 per person in advance and include dinner, local beverages and live music. The cost is $70 per person at the door. Advance tickets are available online at Eventbrite.com – search “Gourmet in the Garden.” Business and support sponsorships for the event are available by contacting Michelle Fuller at mfuller@agcenter.lsu.edu or 225-763-3990 or Charlie Ruffalo at Charlie@louisianaculinary.com or 225-769-8820.

For more information contact Jeff Kuehny at (225) 763-3990 or jkuehny@agcenter.lsu.edu
Writer: Rick Bogren. See the latest news from LSU AgCenter Communications at http://www.lsuagcenter.com/news_archive/
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Hammond garden show scheduled for March 14

The Hammond Spring Garden Day will be held March 14 at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is open to the public, and all interested persons are invited to attend. It will feature kids’ activities, plant sales, gardening seminars, gardening and agriculture exhibits, and concessions that will include homemade items. Admission to the event is $5 per vehicle. Bring nonperishable foods for the food drive to benefit the Tangi Food Pantry.

The Hammond Research Station is located at 21549 Old Covington Highway, just off U.S. Highway 190.

For more information contact Melissa Ordoyne at 985-748-5462 or mordoyne@agcenter.lsu.edu

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Lake Charles Garden Show, Expo Set For March

The 2015 Southwest Louisiana Garden Conference and Expo is scheduled for March 27-28 in Lake Charles. The garden show will be open Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the coliseum, with a wide variety of activities, vendors, speakers and exhibitors.  The show theme is Spirit of Adventure and will feature new and exciting educational programs about garden topics by LSU AgCenter specialists, as well as regional and state guest speakers.

Educational garden seminars will be ongoing throughout the two day event, with topics including home vegetable gardening, pecan insect identification and management in home pecan plantings, integrated pest management and home citrus production. There will be a plant health clinic with professionals from the LSU AgCenter, as well as Master Gardener volunteers who will help diagnose plant problems and answer garden questions. The 4-H Cart Service will be there to help festival-goers carry out items to their vehicles. Admission is $3 for adults and free for children 12 and under.

The Southwest Louisiana Master Gardeners kick off the weekend’s events with its Garden Expo Preview Party featuring a Gumbo Supper & Silent Auction in the Chalkley Room of the Burton Coliseum on Thursday, March 26, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. A donation of $10 is required for admission to the preview party and tickets can be purchased from the LSU AgCenter office at 7101 Gulf Hwy. in Lake Charles or at the door. Attendees will enjoy the gumbo supper, participate in the silent auction, preview the garden show and make purchases from the participating vendors that evening.

For more information, visit www.gardenfest.org or contact Turley at 337-475-8812 or rturley@agcenter.lsu.edu.

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Le Tour des Jardins Scheduled for May 2 and 3

The Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners will hold their annual spring garden tour, Le Tour des Jardins on May 2 and 3, 2015. This year’s garden tour will take you through nine beautiful private gardens throughout Shreveport.  Tour hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 2, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on May 3.  Advance tickets are $10 and can be purchased at any Citizens National Bank, or by calling the Master Gardeners office at (318) 698-0010.  Tickets may also be purchased at any garden on the days of the tour for $15.

A Garden Bazaar will be held during the tour at the Pioneer Heritage Center at LSUS, and while there, enjoy a tour of the Heritage Center Gardens, a project of the Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners.  Admission to the Heritage Center is free. Proceeds from the garden tour will serve to fund future Master Gardener projects and help promote the Master Gardeners’ mission to enhance the quality of knowledge for gardeners in the community.

For more information contact the Northwest Master Gardener office at (318) 698-0010 or www.lsuagcenter.com/nwlamg.

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Camellia stroll set for Feb. 22 in Hammond

The annual Camellia Garden Stroll at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station will be held on Feb. 22 from 1 to 4 p.m.  Visitors are invited to stroll through a collection of over 500 camellias, which were planted by Hody Wilson in the 1930s to early 1950s when he was the station superintendent.

The camellias were research trials of the varieties available at the time and a few that were bred but never named and released.  Propagation of the camellias is ongoing through cuttings, air-layering and even grafting, so that a new replication of as many named varieties as possible can be planted in other areas of the station.

Camellias, including some hard-to-find varieties, will be offered for sale by the Tangipahoa Master Gardeners.  The camellia garden stroll is co-sponsored by the LSU AgCenter and the Tangipahoa Parish Master Gardener Association. The Hammond Research Station is located at 21549 Old Covington Hwy. (Hwy. 1067 just off Hwy. 190). Admission to the event is free and open to the public.

For further information or if you require special accommodation for your participation in this event, contact the LSU AgCenter Tangipahoa Parish office at 985-748-9381.

 

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New Horticulture Publications from the LSU AgCenter

There are three new horticulture publications now available for your use.  Click on the site(s) below to download and print.

1.   Vegetable Gardening Tips: Lettuce, Pub # 3363

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communications/publications/Publications+Catalog/Lawn+and+Garden/Vegetables/vegetable_gardening_tips_series/Lettuce.htm 

 

2.  Vegetable Gardening Tips: Strawberries, Pub # 3364

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communications/publications/Publications+Catalog/Lawn+and+Garden/Vegetables/vegetable_gardening_tips_series/Vegetable+Gardening+Tips_seriespage-15.htm 

 

3.  Louisiana Vegetable Planting Guide, Pub # 1980 (Updated)

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communications/publications/Publications+Catalog/Lawn+and+Garden/Vegetables/planting_guide/Louisiana+Vegetable+Planting+Guide.htm

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Open house at LaHouse set for Nov. 1

The LSU AgCenter LaHouse Home and Landscape Resource Center will host its seasonal Saturday open house on Nov. 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The open house will highlight indoor air quality and design features that make the home a convenient, safe and healthy place to live and enjoy. Visitors can also explore LaHouse’s many high-performance home features, publications, special exhibit room and more with experts on hand to answer questions, said AgCenter extension housing specialist Claudette Reichel.

Healthy home aspects showcased at LaHouse include dust mite and mold control strategies, safer gas equipment, non-toxic pest controls and universal design. “Even spotless homes can have hidden health hazards, especially for people who suffer from allergies or asthma,” Reichel said. “Everyone wants a home that’s convenient to live in, but few homes are designed for every age and stage of life. LaHouse demonstrates cost-effective, practical solutions.”

LaHouse is also open for self-guided tours Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  LaHouse Resource Center is located off Nicholson Drive at 2858 Gourrier Ave. across from Alex Box Baseball Stadium in Baton Rouge. LaHouse requests a donation of $5 per adult to help support its educational programming and exhibits.

For more information, visit www.LSUAgCenter.com/LaHouse or call Reichel at 225-578-7913.

Writer: Olivia McClure/See the latest news from LSU AgCenter Communications at www.lsuagcenter.com/news_archive/

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Exhibit On Cooperative Extension Centennial Opens September 22nd

An exhibit commemorating 100 years of the Cooperative Extension Service in Louisiana will open at the LSU Hill Memorial Library in Baton Rouge on Sept. 22. Entitled “Cooperative Extension at LSU: Commemorating the Centennial of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914,” the exhibit will feature historical documents regarding LSU President Thomas Boyd and the establishment of cooperative extension at LSU, photos from early extension agent annual reports, and first edition extension bulletins, which contain advice on farming and food safety. Rare, early works on agriculture spanning from the 16th to 19th centuries from our holdings are included as well.

The Cooperative Extension Service was created to improve agricultural practices and farming efficiency, which it still does. This exhibit will help people understand the tremendous contribution that extension has made to the state of Louisiana and showcase this important part of LSU’s history.  In addition to photos and documents, the exhibit will include a listening station with a touchscreen computer at which visitors can select audio clips from current and retired extension employees.

The exhibit is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., except for home football game Saturdays.

The exhibit runs through Jan. 24, 2015. A public reception for the exhibit will be Oct. 16 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with a program at 6 p.m.

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AgCenter to hold agritourism workshop Oct. 30 in Hammond

The LSU AgCenter will offer an agritourism workshop from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 30 at the Hammond Research Station. Participants will hear from experts about how to create an agritourism venue, attract visitors and market their business, according to Dora Ann Hatch, AgCenter agritourism coordinator. The workshop also will include a presentation on how to become a certified agritourism operator under the 2008 Louisiana Agritourism Limited Liability Law. The event will conclude with a tour of Mrs. Heather’s Pumpkin Patch in Albany, which is about 20 minutes from the station.

Registration is $15 per individual or $20 per couple before Oct. 20, or $20 per individual and $25 per couple the day of workshop. Lunch is included, but transportation to the pumpkin patch is up to individual attendees.

The workshop is sponsored by the AgCenter, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and Tangipahoa Master Gardeners.

For more information or to register, contact Hatch at 318-927-9654 or DHatch@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Writer: Olivia McClure: See the latest news from LSU AgCenter Communications at www.lsuagcenter.com/news_archive/

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