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FW: SW Louisiana Garden Festival Set for March 27-28

Title: FW: SW Louisiana Garden Festival  Set for March 27-28


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From: RMTURLEY@aol.com



SW Louisiana Garden Festival

Set for March 27-28



Calling all green thumbs! It¹s time to get your hands in soil and plant a seed, transplant a potted plant or grow a garden. Plan now to attend the Southwest Louisiana Garden Festival March 27 and 28 in the outdoor arena at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles, said LSU AgCenter Horticulturist Robert Turley

Festival theme is ³Celebration of Gardening,² and emphasis on helping homeowners find local sources of plant materials, landscaping ideas, educational materials, identify plant problems, find answers to garden questions and develop relationships with plant enthusiasts to enhance the gardening experience.

           The festival includes a variety of activities for people of all ages and backgrounds, including commercial plant booths, a plant disease clinic, educational talks and demonstrations, a flower show, gardening activities for kids and adults. You can even rent-a-kid to haul plants from the arena to your automobile.

           Participants are urged to enter the outdoor arena at the entrance near the Burton Coliseum. 4-H members will collect the $2 entrance fee for adults; children under 12 years of age can enter free.

Commercial Plant Booths ­ Commercial plant booths will allow homeowners to meet people in the retail business in the area and become familiar with the plant varieties they sell. Also, some companies will construct unique plant displays in the arena to demonstrate how plants can be arranged using size, color, texture and variety to create a special environment near the home. This is your opportunity to learn about these arrangements and meet the people who provided the arrangements.



Master Gardeners ­Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions and help festival-goers find plant sources, resources and have a good gardening experience. These gardeners will wear purple and gold golf shirts and be stationed throughout the arena during the festival. Master Gardeners attend a number of gardening classes before the festival and are well trained to answer questions on plant care, plant selection and landscaping.



Rent-A-Kid - 4-H youth volunteers will be at the festival with wagons to assist participants in hauling plants and materials from the display area to the parking lot for a small fee. These young people store their wagons near the main entrance to the arena.  The proceeds will go to support their club activities. Participants in the festival can help provide a positive learning experience for the youth as they provide community support and develop into better citizens.



Plant Disease Clinic ­ The LSU AgCenter and Master Gardeners will schedule professionals throughout the day to answer questions about plant care and plant problems. The plant disease clinic will be in the center of the outdoor arena. The experts invite the public to bring a good sample of diseased, distorted or insect-infested plants to the festival to obtain a free diagnosis and recommended treatment. Samples can be transported in a zippered plastic bag. Also, a number of LSU AgCenter publications will be on display at the clinic.



Educational Talks ­ Throughout the day, experts will present informal discussions on a number of topics related to gardening and landscaping. The talks will be presented in a tent located in northeastern corner of the outdoor arena. This is a good opportunity to ask specific questions about the details presented during the talks and demonstrations.

Talks will begin at 10:00 a.m. Saturday with installing low voltage landscape lighting, (11:15 a.m.) introducing antique roses, (12:30 p.m.) hot color for the landscape, (1:45 p.m.) all about herbs and (3:00 p.m.) growing Bonsai.

Talks resume at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday with the selection and care of orchids, (12:15 p.m.) attracting wild birds to the landscape and (2:00 p.m.) the selection and care of Bromeliads.



Landscaping and Decorating Ideas ­ Continuing the theme of celebrating gardening, the planning committee encourages businesses in the area to display their gardening books, literature, landscape ornaments, statues, water gardens, furniture and other garden items that make the home environment more livable and appealing.



Gardening Activities for Kids - Calcasieu 4-H agents and Junior Leader 4-H members provide a fun hands-on activity for youngsters who attend the festival. This year they will help youngsters plant seeds on Grow Cards. Youngsters should look for an area enclosed with a white picket fence near the center of the arena.



Flower Show ­ Flower enthusiasts of the District 12 Garden Clubs in the southwest Louisiana region will deliver their best arrangements to be judged during the garden festival. The design theme is ³Gardening.....Weather or Not.² Displays are judged on Friday evening and open for public viewing on Saturday and Sunday. The flower show is a good chance for anyone to observe the artistic and creative techniques used in making an arrangements.



Festival hours are Saturday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  Last year the festival attracted more than 4,500 garden lovers, residents and visitors. Plan now to attend the festival.  



Contact:  Robert Turley at (337) 475-8812 or rturley@agcenter.lsu.edu

Writer:     John Chaney at (318) 473-6605 or jchaney@agcenter.lsu.edu

            




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