“Get It Growing” in 2018 with AgCenter lawn and garden calendar

(11/20/17) BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana gardeners in need of motivation to get in the dirt and “get it growing” only need to look to their calendars.

The just-published 2018 Get It Growing Lawn and Garden Calendar provides both knowledge and inspiration for gardening with tips for the experienced or novice gardener along with stunning photos of plants, flowers and gardens from photographers across Louisiana.

In addition to monthly gardening tips, the calendar features a how-to section on building raised beds for vegetable gardening with advice from LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill, a widely respected regional gardening expert. The calendar includes helpful information for projects, including when to plant tulips and tomatoes and to look for Louisiana Super Plants, such as the Little Gem Southern magnolia and the Limelight hydrangeas.

Published since 2005, many Louisiana gardeners eagerly anticipate the calendar’s new edition each year, said Elma Sue McCallum of LSU AgCenter Communications, who serves as the calendar’s coordinator.

“Louisianans have come to rely on the LSU AgCenter for research-based knowledge on a number of topics that affect their lives every day,” McCallum said. “Gardening is one of our most sought-after areas, and the Get It Growing calendar remains a popular gardening resource.”

Besides the monthly gardening tips for 2018 and the feature on raised beds, the full-color, 32-page, 9-inch-by-13.25-inch calendar includes an illustrated step-by-step guide to solarizing garden beds to reduce fungus, nematode and weed problems. The calendar provides a list of AgCenter lawn and garden publications along with information on the LSU AgCenter’s Master Gardener program and the AgCenter Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic and Soil Testing and Plant Analysis labs.

Photographs for the calendar are chosen each year through a public call for entries in the fall. The 2018 calendar winners include Ann Anderson, New Orleans; Glenda Balliviero, Lafayette; Norman Balliviero, Lafayette; Theresa Beaubouef, Independence; Linda Benedict, Baton Rouge; Skylar Henry, Welsh; Debra Jones, Walker; Don Meaux, Franklin; Margaret Melancon, New Iberia; Nadine Melancon, Lafayette; Conchita Richey, Gonzales; Charlotte Schafer, Ponchatoula; Rhoda Stevenson, Campti; and Glenn Stokes, New Iberia.

The Get It Growing calendar sells for $11.95 and is available for online orders at www.lsuagcenter.com/GetItGrowingCalendar. Phone orders can be placed by calling 225-578-2263. Sample photos and more information are available on the website.

Created as part of the AgCenter’s Get It Growing educational campaign for home lawns and gardens, the calendar is sold at many nurseries and garden centers across Louisiana.

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The cover of the 2018 Get It Growing calendar is this fully double sunflower called Teddy Bear (Helianthus annuus Teddy Bear). Double sunflowers look wonderful in the garden and provide beautiful cut flowers but are not grown for edible seeds. Photo by Rhoda Stevenson

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The January photo selection for the Get It Growing calendar is the Dr. Merrill magnolia (Magnolia x loebneri Merrill), a deciduous hybrid magnolia. It is a small tree typically growing to about 20 feet tall with a rounded crown. Fragrant star-like white flowers appear in late January or February before the foliage. It is an excellent small spring-flowering tree suitable for use in smaller landscapes. Photo by Norman Balliviero

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The icy blue flowers of plumbago (Plumbago auriculata) are present all summer from spring to fall. They are featured in the Get It Growing calendar for the month of June. These shrubby perennials may be frozen back in severe winters, but established plants reliably grow from the roots. Look for the Imperial Blue cultivar for a deeper, richer blue flower color. Photo by Debra Jones of Walker

11/20/2017 5:38:45 PM
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