[Image: 2009 Get It Growing Lawn and Garden Calendar Cover Photo]News Release Distributed 10/08/08
People in Louisiana love their gardens, and it shows in the new 2009 Get It Growing Lawn and Garden Calendar from the LSU AgCenter.
Inspiring photos of flowers, plants and lawns are just a few of the reasons Louisiana gardeners and calendar lovers alike have made the calendar a perennial favorite.
Thousands of copies of the previous four annual versions of the Get It Growing calendar have been sold, and officials say gardening enthusiasts won’t be disappointed in this year’s edition.
Filled with photos representing lawn and garden settings across the state, as well as helpful tips and how-to information, the calendar provides gardening enthusiasts with opportunities to learn more about their craft and to be inspired by garden photos.
“Each year we receive hundreds of beautiful photos from gardeners and photographers all across Louisiana,” said Elma Sue McCallum of LSU AgCenter Communications, who serves as the calendar’s coordinator.
McCallum said the calendar’s 32 full-color pages are chock-full of useful gardening information, and it has become an annual resource for Louisiana gardeners wishing to improve their gardening skills and nurture their flowers, vegetables, plants and lawns.
“This year’s special feature offers a wealth of information on a Louisiana favorite – the crape myrtle,” she said. “It includes a section on how to prune a crape myrtle properly and descriptions of some of the top-performing crape myrtles for Louisiana.”
The calendar also includes monthly gardening tips for 2009 and more advice from LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill, who is known across the region for his expertise on Louisiana gardening.
The 9-by-13.25-inch calendar sells for $11.95. It is available for online orders at www.ls[Image: Caladium photo from 2009 Get It Growing Lawn and Garden Calendar]uagcenter.com/GetItGrowingCalendar, or phone orders can be placed by calling (225) 578-4161. Sample photos and more information also are available through the Web site.
The calendar, which is designed as part of the LSU AgCenter’s popular Get It Growing educational campaign on home lawns and gardens, also is expected to be available through a variety of bookstores, garden centers and gift shops across the state this fall.
Proceeds from calendar sales help to support horticultural research and educational efforts of the LSU AgCenter, as well as scholarships for horticulture students. An endowment for the Get It Growing Horticulture Scholarship was established in 2007 and supports an annual scholarship awarded to a full-time sophomore, junior or senior student enrolled in the horticulture curriculum at LSU.
This year’s photographers featured in the calendar come from across Louisiana and include Glenda Balliviero of Lafayette; Norman Balliviero, Lafayette; Rafael Bermudez, Baton Rouge; Cynthia Brown, Lafayette; Kristen Cook, Alexandria; Brett Cordes, Slidell; Maradee Cryer, Baton Rouge; JoAnn Doolos, Baton Rouge; Curtis Hilbun, Wisner; Phyllis Lastrapes, Baton Rouge[Image: Spring flower bed scene from 2009 Get It Growing Lawn and Garden Calendar]; Jordan Pope, Baton Rouge; Tom Pope, Baton Rouge; Lynnwood Powell, Natchitoches; Conchita Richey, Gonzales; Lynn Ward-Bethea, Gretna; Linda Stempel Wegmann, Gretna; David Weindorf, Baton Rouge; and John Wozniak, Baton Rouge.
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Contact: Elma Sue McCallum at (225) 578-2462 or emccallum@agcenter.lsu.edu
Writer: Tom Merrill at (225) 578-2263 or tmerrill@agcenter.lsu.edu