Home > News Archive > 2007 > January > LSU AgCenter Sponsors Camellia Garden Stroll Feb. 11 At Hammond Station [Image: Pink camellia bloom] (Distributed 01/31/07) The LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station is inviting the public to stroll through its camellia gardens. The annual Camellia Garden Stroll at the Hammond Station is set for 1 p.m. through 4 p.m. Feb. 11. Northshore Garden Show Set For March 17-18 (Distributed 01/31/07) The LSU AgCenter and its St. Tammany Master Gardener Association will present the Northshore Garden Show March 17-18 at the St. Tammany Parish Fairgrounds in Covington. Ground Covers Are Versatile In The Landscape (Audio 01/29/07) Ground covers are wonderful low-growing, spreading plants. They work well in areas where grass won't grow, like under trees. These plants are hardy in the winter, and this is a good time to plant ground covers. (Runtime: 60 seconds) Prepare Beds Now For Spring Planting (Audio 01/29/07) Even though Louisiana gardeners can plant year-round, most gardeners get the gardening bug in the spring. Now is a great time to get beds prepared for spring planting. (Runtime: 60 seconds)  more articles... Indoor Plants Need Light To Live (Audio 01/29/07) Plants utilize light to create the food they need to live and grow. When we grow plants indoors, light is very limited. But you can improve the light an indoor plant gets by making a few adjustments. (Runtime: 60 seconds) Prune Roses To Keep Them Vigorous (Audio 01/29/07) Most roses need to be pruned every year. Pruning is important on roses such as hybrid teas and grandifloras, and late January is the best time to prune your roses. (Runtime: 60 seconds) Preserve Blooms By Pressing Them (Audio 01/29/07) LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill frequently talks about how to grow flowers, but this time he's talking about how to preserve some of those wonderful flowers you grow. (Runtime: 60 seconds) Houseplants Bring Benefits To The Home [Image: Houseplants] (Video 01/29/07) Plants can add so much to our indoor environment. They create a wonderful atmosphere and even help freshen the air inside our homes. Since the weather is cold outside, you can get some gardening done by adding plants inside your house. (Runtime: 1 minute, 31 seconds) Get It Growing: Now Is Time To Prune; But Don’t Abuse Crape Myrtles (For Release On Or After 02/16/07) Now is an appropriate time to prune summer-flowering trees and shrubs, but you should take care to make sure you do it right. Especially in the case of trees, pruning should generally be done to enhance their natural shape while correcting any problems. Get It Growing: Please Don’t Eat The Daisies; Take Precautions With Poisonous Plants (For Release On Or After 02/23/07) Horticulturists don’t often discuss the fact that many of the plants we grow as ornamentals are considered poisonous. After all, cases of people eating poisonous plants are relatively rare, and there is no need to cause the public undue alarm. But there is a need for people – particularly those with children – to be aware that poisonous plants exist in our landscapes and inside our homes and to know how to deal with the situation. Get It Growing: Gardening With Perennials Can Be Challenging, Fun (For Release On Or After 02/09/07) When you finally reach the "been there, done that" stage with the cycle of planting annuals, you might consider that perennials offer exciting challenges and great fun. February is a good time to transplant or divide perennials already in your landscape, and now through April is an excellent time to plant new perennials. Get It Growing: Prune Roses In Early February For Better Performance Later In Year (For Release On Or After 02/02/07) Most roses will benefit from some pruning now, and some types must be pruned to perform the way we want them to. Hybrid tea and grandiflora roses, in particular, should be pruned every year during the first or second week in February. Spring Garden Day Set For March 10 At Hammond Research Station (Distributed 01/26/07) The LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station will host the 2007 Spring Garden Day March 10. Sponsored by the LSU AgCenter and its Tangipahoa Parish Master Gardener Association, the event will feature a variety of gardening and educational exhibits, plant sales and seminars, as well as information on some of the research being conducted at the station. Cattle Producers Nervous About Feed Prices (Distributed 01/26/07) Cattle producers are nervous about the upcoming year because the possibility of corn prices exceeding $5 a bushel could mean higher prices for livestock feed. An LSU AgCenter economist recently advised, however, that those fears could be based on some assumptions that may not develop into realities. Click for more information...