Story and Photos by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon Woodland phlox, also known as wild sweet William, is a low-growing native perennial sporting masses of white, pink, blue, and lavender blooms. Pollinators, such as swallowtail, gray hairstreak, and western pygmy butterflies, are attracted to the fragrant flowers. Phlox forms colonies, spreading by shallow roots from stem nodes, …
6+ decades of gardening Story and Photo by Jennifer Williams If you have been a gardener in the Shreveport-Bossier City area in the last 30 or so years, you have probably heard of Dr. Joe White. The gold standard in gardening for the northwest Louisiana community, Dr. White has a long and varied history in …
15 “cool” plants you can grow in Louisiana Story and Photography by Richelle Stafne I love visiting other people’s gardens to see what they are growing. It’s especially fun when I find new and interesting plants, or plants that I had forgotten. Even in my own garden it brings joy to hear someone say, “Ooh, …
Nature lifts the spirit and feeds the soul Story and Photography by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, rejoice, for your …
Story and Photography by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon Old-fashioned nasturtiums are perfect for Louisiana’s cool seasons. In North Louisiana, the attractive edible beauties can be enjoyed from early spring through summer. In South Louisiana, this flowering cook’s delight can be grown from fall through spring during mild winters. Vining varieties are happy on fences, trellises, or …
Patience and a good heart Story and Photography by A.J. Heinsz-Bailey How many people know how to grow their own walking cane? When is the best time of year to harvest trees for building a log cabin? While information resources can be found online or in books frequently the most useful information for your location …
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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …
