Dust off those gardening boots for the Annual SWLA Garden Conference and Expo – KPLC

Popular Flower Types

From romantic to sentimental, there’s a popular flower for every occasion. These perennials are easy to grow, add color year-round, and attract pollinators.

Plant seeds in spring, and then fertilize annually with a balanced organic soil amendment. Choose varieties with bloom times that work with your climate and garden site, whether sun or shade.

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) – With temperatures warming up you might start asking yourself, how soon is too soon to start preparing your garden?

Well, Horticulturalist Roberty Turley with the LSU Ag center says, “Now is a good time to start planting vegetables.”

If you’ve been putting off relandscaping your yard since the hurricane, Spring is usually the time to begin sprucing up your garden and planning what you’ll be planting this year. And to help get your green thumb working again, the Southwest Louisiana Garden expo will be kicking off on Friday March 24 and running through Saturday.

This will be the 23rd annual garden conference and expo which will feature plenty of opportunities to learn more about gardening as well as let those who attend shop around and even see a flower show.

Pam Langley with the LSU Ag Center says one of the big features of the expo are the educational lectures and plenty of garden tools for all your planting needs, “We will have plenty of vendors there selling everything garden related. Plants, fertilizer, lawn ornaments, just anything you can think of.”

The 4-H Cart Service will also be there to help attendees carry out any plants or goods they buy, so don’t worry about having to carry anything heavy to your vehicle.

Displaying their floral designs and talents will be the Federated Garden Clubs of SWLA who will be offering new educational programs and lectures about all kinds of garden topics.

“There will be experts that talk about different gardening things, problems, and how to garden better,” said Langley.

And if you’re still having some problems or that green thumb just isn’t all that green yet, Turley says they might be able to help figure out why your plants aren’t growing the way they should be.

Locally Heavy Rain Potential

”We have the plant health clinic where they can diagnose problems. If you have something dying or has a disease or insects we will give it our best shot” said Turley.

The Ag Center recommends not bringing the entire sick plant, however. This is to help avoid contaminating or spreading any disease that might be affecting the plant. But attendees can always bring a piece of the plant in a ziplock bag for experts to examine.

But it’s not all plants and gardening. The SWLA Master Gardeners will also be hosting a preview party with a gumbo supper in the Chalkley Room of the Burton Coliseum ahead of the weekend on Thursday, March 23 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at the LSU Ag Center located on 7101 Gulf Hwy in Lake Charles or at the door of the event.