Welcome to
LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA
OCTOBER 24-26, 2012
The 2012 Louisiana State Master Gardener Conference is hosted in partnership between the Southwest Louisiana Master Gardeners (Lake Charles) and the LSU AgCenter.
The SWLA Masters Gardeners are honored to be hosting the state conference at a time when gardening seems to be at an all-time high! This event will bring together Master Gardeners, vendors, horticulture professionals and others with a common interest in all aspects of gardening. SWLA Master Gardeners invite you to join us at the 2012 Louisiana Master Gardener Conference as we celebrate “Gardening.”
The Theme of this year’s Conference is:
“Gardening”
Learning – Teaching – Sharing
“Our Bridge to the Future”
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin
Our speakers and gardening educators will tell you, teach you, involve you; and you will learn!
You are invited to join us in Lake Charles at the beautiful L’auberge Resort – a location that’s within easy reach. Enjoy its spacious and fully equipped meeting and conference area, its wide range of signature restaurants and retails shops, and its beautiful hotel, lavish spa and pool, and golf course. The resort has a full-service salon, spa and state-of-the art exercise facility for your enjoyment when you are not attending one of the many keynote addresses and the exciting breakout sessions we are offering as part of the conference.
A fall conference is great -- It is in the fall that we gardeners finally get to relax, and renew and start thinking about what we want to do the following spring. What better time to get us thinking and learning than in the fall before we start on our plans for spring.
Our expert keynote and educational/breakout speakers will give you a lot of inspiration and information to get your gardening juices flowing. We offer guided tours, educational sessions, shopping with vendors and networking with gardening friends. And to keep us all going, we have some fabulous menus that are part of the conference package, planned with the L’auberge Chefs and cooking staff.
These three days in Lake Charles are going to prove that there is nothing better than spending time with a group of people sharing a common love and similar goals. Education, inspiration, learning and friendship are what this conference is going to be all about!
CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Day-by-day summary of what’s in store for you:
Wednesday, October 24 – Kickoff at 1:30 p.m.
The first day of the conference is reserved to get you registered, acclimated to the exciting atmosphere of the L’auberge, settled in as you view exhibits and visit with vendors from the time you arrive until 1:30 p.m. We will have opening remarks beginning at 1:30 p.m., and it is rumored that the “Revelers” have heard about the conference so there may be a short disruption as we see doubloons and other items thrown as they parade through the conference room!
Our first keynote speaker will be Nellie Neal – “Garden Mama” from Mississippi. www.GardenMama.com. Actually she was originally from Louisiana, and she strayed across the state line. But we are bringing her back for the day! Nellie will also have some of her most recent books for sale at the conference: “Organic Gardening Down South” and “Questions and Answers for Deep South Gardeners” Second Edition.
Later that afternoon we hear from one of our favorites – Dr. Carlos Smith. Dr. Carlos is known for the great stories and humor that he employs to deliver his copious horticultural knowledge. He has been a part of Louisiana horticulture for many years. And even though he has retired, he remains active and was recently awarded the Louisiana State Horticulture Society Life Member Award.
At 6 p.m. we will enjoy a reception with hors d’oeuvres and enjoy early-bird shopping with vendors.
Thursday, October 25
We kick off Thursday morning with breakfast and then a full day of keynote speakers and 20 educational/breakout sessions as the speakers share their enthusiasm and expertise. Thursday morning our keynote speaker is Dr. Alan Armitage, well-known writer, speaker and researcher. At the University of Georgia, Dr. Armitage runs the research gardens where new plant material from most of the flower breeders in the world is evaluated. Later in the day we hear from another keynote speaker, Carol Reese, Extension ornamental horticulture specialist at the University of Tennessee. The day is filled with 20 breakout sessions that allow you to choose topics that match your gardening interests or need.
Thursday evening we have a wonderful dinner planned in a private dining area at L’auberge as part of the conference package.
Friday, October
We kick off Friday morning with breakfast and then we hear from some of the Master Gardener Associations so we can all get ideas as they tell us about some the things they are doing. We will also hear from another keynote speaker, Dr. Neal Odenwald. And, don’t forget the tours we have planned. You can enjoy a tour along the Creole Nature Trail in Cameron Parish, a tour of Margaret Place in Lake Charles or a light lunch in a tea room. Each tour includes lunch as part of the tour package.
Other options throughout the conference include enjoying the exhibits from Master Gardener groups around the state, trade show browsing, going through the Master Gardener Country Store, silent auctions and The Bookstore (with some authors on-site to sign books.)