Master Gardeners open state conference to the public

BATON ROUGE — Master Gardeners of Greater New Orleans and the LSU AgCenter are hosting the Louisiana Master Gardeners state conference May 12-14 at the Airport Hilton in Kenner. The event is open to the public and the theme is “Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow ... Inspiration, Treasures and Trends for the Southern Garden.”
During the three-day event, attendees will hear 25 presentations from leading experts in horticulture and design.
This year will mark the first time the conference will be open to the general public, said AgCenter Horticulture Agent Sarah Everhart, from Jefferson Parish.
“This is a very unique opportunity for the general public,” she said. “It will be the first time we have ever opened the conference to the general public and hope they will join us in this exciting event full of learning, networking and fun.”
For edible gardeners, there will be presentations on heirloom fruits and vegetables, information on growing greens in the warm season and olive trees in Louisiana.
For ornamental gardeners, there will be talks on azaleas, Louisiana irises, daylilies, native meadows, All-America Selections, scented paths and more.
In addition, there will be demonstrations on succulents, canning and food preservation, displaying bromeliads and floral design.
Other features of the conference will include Master Gardeners receiving advanced Louisiana Master Gardener certifications and a variety of optional guided tours of local gardens.
“A highlight of the conference is the silent auction of garden art, tools, bed and breakfast packages and more,” Everhart said.
To register for the conference, go online to mggno.org/lmg16 and use access code MGGNO. The registration fee is $175. The optional tours are priced separately and include transportation and a box lunch.
A special conference group rate of $149 per night is available from Hilton New Orleans Airport. To reserve rooms online, go to group.hilton.com/LouisianaMasterGardeners and use the group code LMG.
For information on the schedule, speakers, topics and tours, visit www.mggno.org/ lmg16 or call the conference co-chair Karen Romig at 504-908-2018 or email mastergardeners.gno@gmail.com, or contact Everhart at 504-736-6519 or severhart@agcenter.lsu.edu.