Welcome!
Welcome to the website of the Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners! This site is intended to provide up-to-date information on our organization including educational and gardening activities, volunteer opportunities in and around town, and the latest news of NWLAMG.
Our Mission
The mission of the Louisiana Master Gardener volunteer program is to support the LSU AgCenter’s Cooperative Extension Service by using research-based information to help educate the public on best management practices in consumer horticulture and environmental stewardship. We hope you will find our site provides you with resources, inspiration, and encouragement for your gardening projects. Gardening Questions?? Call the Master Gardener Hotline at 318-408-0984. How do I become a Master Gardener? For more information about Louisiana Master Gardeners and statewide programs you can go to https://www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/lawn_garden/master%20gardener Congratulations to our Top 15 LMG volunteers for 2023!
Lafayette Parish Master Gardeners Association Master Gardeners of Greater New Orleans Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners Northeast Louisiana Master Gardeners East Baton Rouge Master Gardener Association St. Tammany Master Gardener Association Also included are individuals from the Southwest Master Gardener Program and Livingston Parish Master Gardener Program. Have you thought about becoming a Louisiana Master Gardener?
Class applications for 2024 are now closed. Now is the time to make your plans and apply for the next class of the Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners held here in the Shreveport area. Deadline to return your application is November 20th, 2023 for the spring 2024 class. Click on this link for the application. HOw can i become a master gardener?
CALL (318) 408-0984 TO REQUEST AN APPLICATION OR DOWNLOAD A LETTER AND APPLICATION. (FORM MAY BE FILLED OUT ONLINE) INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAILING ARE ON THE APPLICATION. APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY NOVEMBER 18TH FOR CONSIDERATION FOR THE NEXT CLASS.
Is there a fee to take the master gardener class?
The registration fee for the Master Gardeners class is $175. The fee covers the cost of training manuals, publications and supplies for the class. The fee is payable upon acceptance into the class.
Red River Research Station is the home of the Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners
210 Research Station Drive Bossier City, LA 71112 318-408-0984 Do You Know Where Master Gardeners Volunteer?NWLAMG Volunteering in the Community Congratulations on your many hours and miles! From Mark Wilson, Regional Horticulturist, NW Region and NWLA master gardener coordinator:
I am pleased to acknowledge the remarkable dedication and effort displayed by everyone in the Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners community over the past year. Your collective commitment resulted in an outstanding 11,911.90 hours of valued volunteering, estimated at $378,798.42 based on the 2023 IRS volunteer rate of $31.80 per hour. Additionally, our team traveled 41,723.90 miles, valued at $5,841.35 according to the 2023 IRS mileage rate of $0.14 per mile. Moreover, 1,457.15 hours of continuing education were diligently recorded, alongside an impressive total of 191,433 contacts made, engaging with 67,690 individuals. Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners have sponsored two of the beautiful planters downtown on Texas Street, helping to beautify the city!
Want to know what to plant in March and April in Northwest Louisiana?March is a critical month in our vegetable gardens - early for some things and late for others. Timely planting is one way of increasing potential yield and decreasing production problems, says LSU Agricultural Center horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske.
Now is the time in Louisiana to plant snap beans, lima beans, butter beans, butter peas, cucumber, muskmelons, okra, radishes, corn, collards and watermelons, the horticulturist says. Sweet potato roots may still be bedded up early in the month on well-drained, warm beds for slip production early in the month. Pepper, eggplants and tomato transplants may be planted now. Don’t be in a rush to set out the peppers, okra and eggplants if the soil is cold. All these vegetables can be hurt by a late frost. Northern parishes still may plant shallots, Chinese cabbage and cabbage transplants, and southern parishes can plant southern peas, squash and pumpkin. It's too late for good spring plantings of beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, garlic, onion, Irish potatoes, lettuce, parsley, English or snow peas, spinach, mustard and turnips. Northern parishes may still try some beets, carrots and loose-head lettuce. Vegetables to plant in April include collards, squash, pumpkins, okra, tomatoes, corn, radishes, peppers, mirliton, eggplants, cucumbers, bush snaps and limas, watermelons, southern peas and early sweet potato slips. Related yard and garden topics are available by contacting an extension agent in your parish LSU AgCenter office. Also, look for Gardening and Get It Growing links in the Feature section of the LSU AgCenter Web site Fruit Planting Time in LouisianaLooking to plant for those butterflies? Start planning for spring and summer!
2023 Super Plants Announced by LSU AgCenterBy Johnny Morgan (03/09/23) HAMMOND, La. — The LSU AgCenter has announced the release of five Louisiana Super Plants for the 2023 growing season. AgCenter commercial horticulture specialist Jeb Fields said the Louisiana Super Plants program is not just about pretty flowers. “Not only are these some of the best plants available, but we are working to include plants that provide added functionality to the landscape,” he said. “We still ensure the highest aesthetic quality of plants inducted into the program.” Fields said work continues to evolve the Louisiana Super Plants program to fit the growing needs of the Louisiana public and the Louisiana green industry alike. “We are including more purposeful plants like natives, pollinators and niche plants that are critical to maintain the superior nature of the program,” he said. The five 2023 Louisiana Super Plants were well supported and performed wonderfully throughout the evaluation process, Fields said. Plus, this year the selection team decided to include a surprise induction as lagniappe. The spring 2023 selection is the Peggy Martin rose. Known as the Katrina rose, it was found surviving in Plaquemines Parish after Hurricane Katrina. With its unique story, this rose will forever be connected to Louisiana’s horticultural history. With countless gorgeous pink flowers, Peggy Martin is a prolific bloomer. Like most roses, it grows best in full sun and well drained soils. This is a vigorous, climbing rose with cascading branches that bring a unique look to the landscape. The climbing habit makes this a great choice for fences, trellises and railings, especially because the rose produces a relatively low number of thorns. Pruning is more form-specific than other roses. Cane thinning and shaping should be done to ensure proper growth. The summer 2023 selections are two Evolvulus varieties: Blue My Mind and Blue Daze. Evolvulus Blue My Mind is a perfect warm-season border plant or groundcover. It also can work as a spiller plant for containers and baskets. The amazing, bright blue flowers are unbeatable in the landscape, and the plants handle the Louisiana heat with ease. A tried-and-true favorite of the landscape industry, Blue Daze is rightfully being added as a Louisiana Super Plant in 2023. This heat-loving, drought-tolerant, blue-flowering staple is an excellent choice as a groundcover or border plant. Plant in a mass for a mat of blue against a silvery-green background. An easy way to tell these apart from the Blue My Mind cultivar is that the flowers are slightly less lobed. The fall 2023 selection is Cinnamon Girl distylium, which is about as low-maintenance as you can get for a well-formed evergreen shrub. Cinnamon Girl distylium is a great choice for landscapers, businesses and municipalities that need a clean look without the hassle of constant maintenance. Cinnamon Girl gets its name from the crimson-colored new growth, which slowly reverts to blue-green. It keeps a nice, dense shape with minimal pruning and can handle nearly any growing conditions, with equal performance in sun or shade. There can be minimal late winter damage on new growth during hard freezes, but there are no long-term issues. Inconspicuous flowers are an added bonus in the spring for those who look closely. The lagniappe addition to this group of Louisiana Super Plants is the Suncredible Saturn sunflower. Two years ago, Suncredible Yellow was inducted into the program. It’s just as prolific and vigorous as Yellow, but it comes with an extra splash of color in the form of a red-orange ring around the center. The Louisiana Super Plant program is an LSU AgCenter educational and marketing campaign that highlights tough and beautiful plants that perform well throughout the state of Louisiana. Each spring and fall, AgCenter horticulturists announce the Louisiana Super Plants selections for that year. Louisiana Super Plants have a proven record with many years of reliable performance in Louisiana landscapes or have gone through several years of university evaluations and observations. Look for these plants at local nurseries. *All photos are courtesy of the LSU AgCenter 2024 LSU AgCenter Louisiana Super Plants - Jane Magnolia, Porterweed, Zesty Zinnias and Florida Sunshine Illicium (Anise).
A catalog of the Louisiana Super Plants since 2010.
Each spring and fall the LSU AgCenter announces a new list of plants deemed worthy to be Louisiana Super Plants. These are reliable and beautiful plants selected for superior performance under Louisiana growing conditions. Click this link to see the list from the LSU AgCenter. Looking for gardens to visit in the Ark-LA-Tex?Here are four that should not be missed...
The Gardens of the American Rose Center, the Asian Gardens of Shreveport and the R.W. Norton Art Gallery (open Monday-Tuesday, 4:00 to sundown and Wednesday - Sunday, sunup to sundown) and Botanical Gardens. Longview Arboretum and Nature Center For more information, click here. Another great garden is the
Briarwood Nature Preserve National Historic Place Briarwood is the birthplace and home of Caroline Dormon, a world renowned naturalist, author, artist and the first woman to be hired in the United States Forest Service. From the website- The Caroline Dormon Nature Preserve carries on the work started by Miss Dormon by preserving wildflowers native to the south and educating the public on how natural forest ecosystems work. A mecca for high school and college students studying horticulture, Briarwood provides a complete ecosystem for them to study. Today, people from all over the world come to Briarwood to walk down forest trails, to savor the beauty of the Louisiana iris bog, to admire the ancient longleaf pine, "Grandpappy" and enjoy the most complete botanical and wildlife sanctuary in Louisiana. Click here for more information Longview Arboretum and Nature Center The Longview Arboretum and Nature Center is a privately managed arboretum garden in the heart of Longview. Like many other arboretums across our nation, a respectful partnership exists between the City of Longview and the Board of the Longview Arboretum and Nature Center regarding the sustainability of this massive endeavor. This public/private partnership allows for cultivation, development, private investment, and collaborative maintenance on 26-acres between the Longview Convention Complex and Grace Creek tributary. Opened Saturday, November 2, 2019, the Longview Arboretum began it's role as a privately managed arboretum devoted to revealing the unique eco-system of East Texas in a beautiful and thoughtful manner. The mission to educate our community, stimulate the senses, and create a positive relationship to nature is one that the Board of Directors pursues for the future. Our executive director, Steven Chamblee directs the growth, plantings, events, and exhibits of the Longview Arboretum. Please stop by and say hello if you see him in the gardens. This ever-growing garden is a living testament to a love of community, and the soul enriching quality of spending time in nature. The 26 acres along Grace Creek run along the east side of Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Center, adjacent to the JR Curtis Garden for the Blind. Nestled in trees and gentle cliffs, the land sits in the heart of Longview a short car ride from Downtown. Just south of Lake Lomond, the area attracts birds, butterflies, wildlife, and indigenous flora and fauna. Phase Two of the overall master plan has just been completed! Please register for the e-newsletter on the home page to receive news about the arboretum’s grand opening and other upcoming events. |
LSU AgCenter Northwest Region
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Upcoming Activities
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Calendar of Events in the Ark-La-Tex
March 21-22, 2024 BPSTIL plant sale. Bossier Parish Agriscience Students 1020 Innovation Drive Bossier City
See flyer below.
March 23, 2024 ARK-LA-TEX Herb Society Plant sale 8-2 Herbs, Flowers, Herb books and prizes!
6969 Fern Loop at Macdaniel Financial lot
March 23, 2024 9-10 am, Louisiana Nursery, For the Love of Herbs presented by Ms. Rose Kelly, herb gardening expert $5
See flyer below
April 6, 2024 8-noon Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners Plant sale
Red River Research Station
See flyer below
April 19, 2024 9-3 The Biedenharn Museum and Gardens Garden Symposium
April 18, Meet the speakers reception, April 19 symposium and early access plant sale, April 20 Public plant sale 8:39-1:00
See flyer below
April 20, 2024 North Central Louisiana Master Gardener Spring Plant sale 8-1 at the Bridge Community Church 2301 N. Trenton, Ruston
See flyer below
April 20, 2024 9am Downtown Plant Swap at Caddo Common Park
https://www.facebook.com/events/747877850774704
April 27, 2024 8:00 Garden To Table 2024 Homesteader Series at the Red River Research Station Basics of backyard gardening and vendors and food trucks will be on sight
See flyer below $20
June 1 and 2, 2024 Le Tour des Jardins, Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners annual garden tour. Saturday: 9:30-4:30, Sunday: 12:30-4:30
See flyer below $10 (from any master gardener) or select Citizens National Bank. $15 online purchase and day of tour.
For the love of herbs
WHEN: Saturday, March 23rd, 2024 @ 9:00 am.- 10:00 am.
GUEST SPEAKER: Ms. Rose Kelly, Herb Gardening Expert
TOPIC: Ms. Rose Kelly, an Herb Gardening Expert, will help you discover the absolute joy of Herb Gardening with her delightful techniques of planting, growing and using herbs in everyday cooking. She will show how and where to incorporate herbs in the landscape or containers to make your yard not only beautiful but deliciously edible. Door prizes and Refreshments.
*ALL SEMINARS ARE $5.00 PER PERSON AT THE DOOR*
Call 318-925-0971 To Sign Up!
WHEN: Saturday, March 23rd, 2024 @ 9:00 am.- 10:00 am.
GUEST SPEAKER: Ms. Rose Kelly, Herb Gardening Expert
TOPIC: Ms. Rose Kelly, an Herb Gardening Expert, will help you discover the absolute joy of Herb Gardening with her delightful techniques of planting, growing and using herbs in everyday cooking. She will show how and where to incorporate herbs in the landscape or containers to make your yard not only beautiful but deliciously edible. Door prizes and Refreshments.
*ALL SEMINARS ARE $5.00 PER PERSON AT THE DOOR*
Call 318-925-0971 To Sign Up!
Akins Nursery,5901 East Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA 71105 - 2023 Monthly Education Series: Classes are the last Saturday of the month at 10am
Have a question?
Email Master Gardeners for your answer!
[email protected]
Keep Bossier Beautiful
Arbor Day 2024
Arbor Day 2024
Keep Bossier Beautiful Contest
The Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners are working in conjunction with Keep Bossier Beautiful and their Beautification Contest
The Keep Bossier Beautiful committee views and judges the nominated business properties quarterly.
The Keep Bossier Beautiful committee views and judges the nominated business properties quarterly.
To our latest Beautification Contest winners: Live Oak Dental (1st Place) and Halcyon Veterinary Hospital (Runner up)!!
These businesses take pride in their exterior and consistently keep their properties clean and nice in our community!
Now - we need more NOMINATIONS!
Anyone can submit a business in Bossier that keeps their footprint beautiful - just click here: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSeWCeRNrR0BAn.../viewform
The winner receives a $50 Tubbs Hardware & Cajun Gifts gift card, their photo in the Bossier Press-Tribune, and a nice sign to place on their property for bragging rights!
All nominations are judged by the Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners. We appreciate all of our partnerships that make this project possible!
We also appreciate all of the businesses who work hard to keep their properties beautiful, so come on! Give them a shout out and nominate them!
These businesses take pride in their exterior and consistently keep their properties clean and nice in our community!
Now - we need more NOMINATIONS!
Anyone can submit a business in Bossier that keeps their footprint beautiful - just click here: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSeWCeRNrR0BAn.../viewform
The winner receives a $50 Tubbs Hardware & Cajun Gifts gift card, their photo in the Bossier Press-Tribune, and a nice sign to place on their property for bragging rights!
All nominations are judged by the Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners. We appreciate all of our partnerships that make this project possible!
We also appreciate all of the businesses who work hard to keep their properties beautiful, so come on! Give them a shout out and nominate them!
Rambling Rose Preservation Initiative
Northwest Louisiana Master gardener project in conjunction with the American Rose Center
(Click here for more information)
Northwest Louisiana Master gardener project in conjunction with the American Rose Center
(Click here for more information)
Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners have an opportunity to work on a project that will bring much publicity to our organization.
The Gardens of the American Rose Society will be the home of Rambling Roses that come to ARS from Anne Belovich's home in Washington state. These climbing roses come by way of Chambersville Tree Farm in Texas where they have been being propagated. Due to the tree farm closing this year, they are being moved to the Gardens of the American Rose Society.
The gates are open and waiting for you to volunteer. We need your help in making sure that over 300 varieties do not become extinct. If you are willing to assist with this project on the third Thursday of the month from about 8:30 - 11:30, please contact Larry Williams. Click here to view what will be done.
The Gardens of the American Rose Society will be the home of Rambling Roses that come to ARS from Anne Belovich's home in Washington state. These climbing roses come by way of Chambersville Tree Farm in Texas where they have been being propagated. Due to the tree farm closing this year, they are being moved to the Gardens of the American Rose Society.
The gates are open and waiting for you to volunteer. We need your help in making sure that over 300 varieties do not become extinct. If you are willing to assist with this project on the third Thursday of the month from about 8:30 - 11:30, please contact Larry Williams. Click here to view what will be done.
For 2023, Master Gardeners must once again earn 6 education hours and 20 volunteer hours.
Mark Wilson, our LSUag Center agent has compiled a great list. Click here to see the list that is on the Educational Opportunities page.
Mark Wilson, our LSUag Center agent has compiled a great list. Click here to see the list that is on the Educational Opportunities page.
Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners can record volunteer hours and education hours online at the LSU AgCenter website here. Click here.
Record Your Hours!Louisiana Master Gardener Program
A look back at our Louisiana Master Gardener volunteer efforts! 2022 #MasterGardener #Volunteer #LouisianaMasterGardener #LMG #LMGVolunteer ***************************Have a question about your garden or plants?
Email the NWLA Master Gardeners your question and pictures for the answer! [email protected] ******************************
Blessed are the gardeners, for they touch the earth with love and understanding. |
Check out these Newsletters from the LSU AgCenter
Newsletters published by the Regions
Northwest Louisiana Horticulture Hints Newsletter Summer 2022
GNO Gardening Regional newsletter published by the Greater New Orleans Area Horticulture agents. June 2019
Northwest Louisiana Horticulture Hints Newsletter Summer 2022
GNO Gardening Regional newsletter published by the Greater New Orleans Area Horticulture agents. June 2019
Get It Growing by Heather Kirk-Ballard of the LSU AgCenter
Heather Kirk-Ballard is the spokesperson for the LSU AgCenter’s Get It Growing project, a statewide educational effort in home horticulture utilizing radio, Internet, TV and newsprint.
Heather Kirk-Ballard is the spokesperson for the LSU AgCenter’s Get It Growing project, a statewide educational effort in home horticulture utilizing radio, Internet, TV and newsprint.
Articles by Dr. Joe White. Check it out in the Master Gardener Knowledge Tree, Gardening Wisdom from Dr. Joe White
Articles from the NWLAMG Seedling. Newest edition can be found at Master Gardeners Knowledge Tree - NWLAMG Publication "Seedlings"
LSU AgCenter Newsletter "Horticulture Hints" Newest edition of the quarterly newsletter highlight, Fall of 2023.
GNO Gardening Magazine from the LSU AgCenter
Latest Edition can be found here
Articles from the NWLAMG Seedling. Newest edition can be found at Master Gardeners Knowledge Tree - NWLAMG Publication "Seedlings"
LSU AgCenter Newsletter "Horticulture Hints" Newest edition of the quarterly newsletter highlight, Fall of 2023.
GNO Gardening Magazine from the LSU AgCenter
Latest Edition can be found here
Wondering What is Wrong With Your Plant?
Check the Leaves.
Make MONEY for Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners Association,
when you shop AMAZON.COM!
when you shop AMAZON.COM!
Yes, You CAN…and this is how you do it.
Knowing that our local merchants do not have the purchasing power of a giant engine like Amazon, why don’t we shop more often at this gi-normous marketplace, where almost anything is available?
Hold on! We want to shop locally. We want our local merchants to succeed. We have made friends with many shopkeepers and want to be able to find items we need at our favorite stores. For most people, if there is a purchase to be made, the first notion is to run errands and shop close to our homes. After all, the most delightful thing about bargain hunting is that you mingle with people, you are outdoors, you are touching, smelling and viewing the products you need, and want to purchase. But, even a shopkeeper may tell you “ just go to our online catalog… you’ll find it there!”
And, sometimes, the items we need are not locally available.
What is our next move? Start internet shopping and fire up Amazon.com. But, listen to this: When you shop at Amazon.com, and buy a product from them, your order will make money for the NORTHWEST LOUISIANA MASTER GARDENERS! We can earn 5% cash back for the Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners every time that you purchase anything from Amazon.com. And, this money will be immediately deposited in our bank account. It’s true! AMAZING.
Of course, it doesn’t just happen by magic! You must sign up for us to be eligible for the 5% refund. Here is how you register to send money to NWLAMG’s. Go to amazon.com as usual.. On the black bar below the white search bar are several departments. Choose the “Prime” button. In order to participate, you should be a Prime Member (This membership provides free shipping for all purchases, and many other benefits as well.) There will be a section in the registration asking which non-profit you want to support. Choose NWLAMG’s. That’s it. You’re in. We’re in. Everyone benefits. The next time you enter ‘[email protected]’, you will see that all of your purchases generate money for the Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners Association. Pat yourself on the back for helping our organization find some free money!
Knowing that our local merchants do not have the purchasing power of a giant engine like Amazon, why don’t we shop more often at this gi-normous marketplace, where almost anything is available?
Hold on! We want to shop locally. We want our local merchants to succeed. We have made friends with many shopkeepers and want to be able to find items we need at our favorite stores. For most people, if there is a purchase to be made, the first notion is to run errands and shop close to our homes. After all, the most delightful thing about bargain hunting is that you mingle with people, you are outdoors, you are touching, smelling and viewing the products you need, and want to purchase. But, even a shopkeeper may tell you “ just go to our online catalog… you’ll find it there!”
And, sometimes, the items we need are not locally available.
What is our next move? Start internet shopping and fire up Amazon.com. But, listen to this: When you shop at Amazon.com, and buy a product from them, your order will make money for the NORTHWEST LOUISIANA MASTER GARDENERS! We can earn 5% cash back for the Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners every time that you purchase anything from Amazon.com. And, this money will be immediately deposited in our bank account. It’s true! AMAZING.
Of course, it doesn’t just happen by magic! You must sign up for us to be eligible for the 5% refund. Here is how you register to send money to NWLAMG’s. Go to amazon.com as usual.. On the black bar below the white search bar are several departments. Choose the “Prime” button. In order to participate, you should be a Prime Member (This membership provides free shipping for all purchases, and many other benefits as well.) There will be a section in the registration asking which non-profit you want to support. Choose NWLAMG’s. That’s it. You’re in. We’re in. Everyone benefits. The next time you enter ‘[email protected]’, you will see that all of your purchases generate money for the Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners Association. Pat yourself on the back for helping our organization find some free money!
The Garden Gym