LOUISIANA ARTICLE ARCHIVE
Below you will find our growing collection of Louisiana-specific articles. Enjoy!
THE SLEEPY LANDSCAPE
Louisiana landscapes are neither totally bleak nor lifeless during winter By Dan Gill Overall, Louisiana landscapes sleep restlessly over the winter. We certainly don’t see the sound slumber that is typical for gardens in climates that are considerably colder than ours. In cold climates, landscape plants hunker down and hope for a blanket of snow …
WHIMSICALITY BY THE LAKE
Story and Photography by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon The lovely imaginative lakeside garden of Ruth and Peter Kovacs in Baton Rouge’s Oak Hills Park is filled with many charming expressions of Ruth’s creative spirit. This unique tribute to fancifulness was one of the four gardens featured on Hilltop Arboretum’s 2018 Spring Garden Tour. According to Ruth, …
TEA PLANT
Story and Photography by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon As a tea lover, I am pleased to report that the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), which is the source of white, green, black, oolong and also fermented teas, can be grown in Louisiana. The attractive shrub’s dark evergreen leaves and fragrant white flowers do well in the landscape …
FALLING FOR PERSIMMONS
Story and Photography by A.J. Heinsz-Bailey It’s the end of October, not much is happening in the garden … then you see them. Little orange pumpkin-like fruit hanging on a spectacular small tree dressed in vibrant red and orange leaves. Barely noticed in summer, they’re now the highlight of your yard. The genus name of …
JEANETTE BELL
Gardens on Mars and other earthly delights Story and Photography by Meaghan Clark Wandering the city of New Orleans while on a floral delivery, gardener Jeannette Bell got turned around and lost somewhere in the city’s Ninth Ward. What she did find was several blighted properties and vacant lots in need of love … and …
POLLY WATTS
The joyful work of gardening By Meaghan Clark Photo by Johan Lenner Running a business can be stressful and time consuming. Running an award-winning pub, raising children as a single parent, and still finding time to create a garden that is an oasis of beauty in an urban setting is more than admirable – it’s …
EGYPTIAN STARFLOWER
Story and Photos by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon ‘Nova’ and ‘Pink Remembrance’ pentas, also known as Egyptian starflowers, are introduced flowering plants that bring hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees to the garden in droves. These hardy, vigorous beauties with 3-4-inch clusters of star-shaped flowers were recognized by the LSU AgCenter as “Plants with Potential.” ‘Nova’ and ‘Pink …
GO PLUM CRAZY!
Growing plums in your Louisiana landscape Story and Photography by A.J. Heinsz-Bailey In the early 19th century, “plum” meant any desirable treasure, a coveted prize, or the best of a group. Now the word is used as an adjective describing something covetable, like a “plum role” in a movie. Living up to this reputation is not …
THE GREAT FALL BATTLE
Resolving Brussels sprout and red cabbage garden mysteries By Kathryn Fontenot Louisiana fall gardens almost always include cabbage plants. Whether you grow them for nourishment, coleslaw, eggrolls, relish, or salads … or perhaps to throw in St Patrick’s Day Parades, they are generally a staple crop of fall gardens. In general, Louisiana gardeners can grow …
LOUISIANA GARDENER VIDEOS
Below are our best how-to and plant profile videos from Louisiana Gardener. If you find them helpful make sure to share!