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The date of the 4th Annual Trails & Trellises Garden Tour presented by the Piney Hills Louisiana Master Gardeners has been set for May 16, 2009. New directors Linda Berry and Mary Anna Perryman are hard at work with their committee planning another wonderful tour for the gardening public.
Three lovely gardens will be offered for your enjoyment as well as two seminars. because of a family conflict, Dr. Carlos Smith will not be with us. Rafash Brew, regional horticultural specialist with the LSU Ag Center, has graciously agreed to step in. After graduating from Southern University, Rafash spent a few months working at a retail nursery. He then took the job with the LSU AgCenter and has been with them for almost 18 years. Rafash will share his vast horticultural knowledge as he presents The Edible Landscape at 11a.m. at Minden High School. During the break between lectures, take advantage of the delicious box lunches that will be offered for sale at a cost of $5. At 1:30 p.m. Rafash will speak on Perennials for Louisiana. Learn how to make your garden more beautiful with plants you can put on your table for supper and plants that will come back to your garden year after year as you listen to these entertaining and informative lectures at the Minden High School Auditorium.
A flyer with attached map is provided for download below.
Admission to the event will be $10 in advance and $12 the day of the tour. For more information, please call 318-371-1371 or e-mail Glenda at gcollums@agcenter.lsu.edu.
The three gardens to be showcased this year are:
Betty and Foster Halford — 268 Chris Drive
A specimen Christmas tree planted lovingly in the front yard invites you to see what other surprises are hidden behind the front of the house. You will discover a border filled with wonderful perennials and trees. All the beauty of wisteria, bamboo cane, rosemary, a walnut tree and much more await the curious. The woodland garden is full of surprises, including bridges and a meandering stream with décor that will delight the inner soul and inspire your imagination.
Susie and Henry Lester — 700 Buchanan
The mature garden at the Lesters is sure to delight the young and old alike. The large specimen tree-form wisteria is truly a show-stopper in the spring garden. You will be greeted with the beauty of azaleas, cannas, a bay tree, oak leaf hydrangeas and irises to name a few. The back yard with its tranquil atmosphere will beg you to sit and enjoy the quiet beauty that will surround you. As you walk along the winding paths, you will find surprise after surprise with garden décor, potted containers, an herb garden, memorial stepping stones and plentiful seating. There is a 50-year-old camellia, birdbaths, a child’s playhouse, a bottle tree and much more. There are small creatures, both real and ceramic, gracing this breathtaking garden. And you must not miss the “duck pond” for the children’s ducks at Easter.
Sybil and John Ray — 127 Woodard Drive
This garden graces a beautiful home and sets off the wrought iron fencing with curving beds, Japanese maple, sago palm, crape myrtles and a gazing ball. From the sloping driveway you enter into a large garden that has utilized the shape of the land to display ferns, cannas and curving beds with hydrangeas. There are beds filled with showy and colorful annuals plus plentiful perennials to delight you with their beauty and elegance. The island beds with oleanders and cannas are to be envied, and the cardinal flower is breathtaking in its beautiful red glory. The beds curving around a long ditch continue to delight the eye and please all with plants providing a tropical feel. And you will not want to overlook the round bed tucked behind the house, which includes a small pond. There is a vegetable garden to complete this full-range garden, bringing you even more pleasure as you tour the property.