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The Lafayette Parish Master Gardener Association, LPMGA, serves the parish of Lafayette with additional programmatic representation in Acadia, Iberia, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Vermilion Parishes. This report highlights but a few of our annual projects. Additional programs and activities will be highlighted in future reports.
The LPMGA Demonstration Gardens are located on the property of Ira Nelson Horticulture Center in Lafayette, LA and are open to the public. More than 40 Master Gardener volunteers regularly maintain the nearly twenty themed garden beds ranging from an Antique Rose bed to a Tropical bed. Each themed bed has a chairman and co-chairman who maintain the beds and identification signage. The Demonstration Gardens are a cooperative educational effort between LSU AgCenter and University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Master Gardener volunteers lead school groups through the garden and impact approximately 350 students annually.
LPMGA Demonstration Gardens.
PlantFest is one of the largest outreach events sponsored by LPMGA. Each fall, over 50 LPMGA volunteers conduct events associated with PlantFest including a plant sale, silent auction, information table, horticulture speakers, and a children’s activity tent. In Fall of 2023, we hosted over 500 individuals from across the Acadiana area. One of the main focuses of our LPMGA Propagation committee is the promotion and availability of native and sustainable plants.
Lafayette Parish Master Gardeners host a fall plant sale at PlantFest.
The second annual Dans le Jardin speaker symposium welcomed over 100 garden enthusiasts in 2024. The symposium focused on the challenges of gardening and featured four highly esteemed horticulturists. This event serves a dual purpose: to educate the public on gardening and to raise funds for the many projects that LPMGA sponsors. The event included a silent auction and educational stations for all attendees. The 2024 symposium was held at the UL Lafayette LITE Center and there are plans to host the 3rd annual Dans le Jardin at the LITE Center in summer 2025.
Dr. Heather Kirk-Ballard presents at the second annual Dans le Jardin symposium.
The LPMGA Ask A Master Gardener committee is currently composed of 8 active members. The Ask A Master Gardener committee volunteers at a variety of venues across Lafayette and surrounding parishes. Outreach events include the Moncus Park Farmer’s Market on the first Saturday of the month, Sunset Herb & Flower Festival annually, Festival des Fleurs annually, and a variety of other community outreach events. In the 2024 program year, the Ask A Master Gardener volunteers shared research-based horticultural information with over 1400 individuals.
Lafayette Parish Master Gardeners offer research-based information to the general public at a farmer’s market.
For information about upcoming Lafayette Parish Master Gardener events, check out the LPMGA website at www.LPMGA.org.
Follow us on social media!
Instagram: Lafayette Master Gardeners
Facebook: Lafayette Parish Master Gardeners
If you have any additional questions, please contact:
Maddox M. Miller
Associate Extension Agent - ANR (Horticulture)
Lafayette, Vermilion, & Acadia Parishes
MMMiller@agcenter.lsu.edu
337-291-7090
OverviewofPrograms Lafayette 2024pdf / 0.85MB