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, …
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 …
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 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 …
Story and Photography Yvonne Lelong Bordelon White-flowering turnera is a useful ornamental native to tropical America. These sturdy shrubs are adaptable to many growing conditions and are drought and salt tolerant once established. The showy white flowers are pollinator magnets – especially to honeybees, bumblebees, and butterflies – making it a welcome addition to the …
Renew, refresh, and revitalize the late-summer garden Story and Photography by Richelle Stafne It’s been a long, hot summer. We could all use a spa day. Even our gardens could benefit from some renewal, refreshing, and revitalization. For some, late summer means August and for others, it’s late August through early September, even though it …
Story and Photography by Yvonne Lelong Bordelon You’ll enjoy growing garden balsam, an easy-to-grow, upright heirloom Impatiens species that was a favorite in Victorian gardens. Both the showy single-flowered variety and the double camellia-like form are making a comeback. The lovely flowers attract pollinators, including bees and butterflies, to the garden. Balsam does well when …
Non-traditional ways to use annuals in the landscape Story and Photos By Jennifer Williams Driving through most neighborhoods across the country, you can see that we have all been told the same thing about annuals – Keep it simple: Plant your annuals near the front of your flowerbeds, pick one or two options and colors, …
