The annual Margie Jenkins Azalea Garden Horticulture Lecture Series and Industry Open House will be held at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 12.
This educational event is planned for nursery growers, landscape contractors, landscape maintenance firms, retail garden center owners and managers, and their employees, said Allen Owings, resident director at the station. Continuing education units are available for landscape architects who attend.
The program will be presented by Gary Bachman, a horticulturist with the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service and the host of Southern Gardening television segments. He will talk about landscape ideas featuring plants and more.
The event will include tours of the research gardens and plant trials at the station and feature 2017 “plants with potential,” Owings said.
The LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station established the Margie Y. Jenkins Azalea Garden in 2006 in recognition of one of Louisiana's most widely known nursery owners and nationally known breeder and authority on azaleas.
Although there is no registration fee, an RSVP is requested to get a count for the hamburger lunch that will be served in the gardens, Owings said.
The Hammond Research Station is located at 21549 Old Covington Highway (Louisiana Highway 1067) east of Hammond. Driving directions may be found on the LSU AgCenter website.
Additional information is available by contacting the Hammond Research Station at 985-543-4125 or Owings at aowings@agcenter.lsu.edu.