AgCenter Garden Fest set June 17 at Botanic Gardens at Burden

BATON ROUGE — Visitors will have the opportunity to sample fruits and vegetables fresh from the garden along with creations from local food companies at the annual Garden Fest on June 17 at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden in Baton Rouge.
From 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., visitors will have an opportunity to take a hayride to the Botanic Gardens research area to taste new vegetable varieties and learn about the latest in vegetables and ornamental plants, said Burden Resident Director Jeff Kuehny.
Other garden tours will include the All-America Selections garden, the rose garden, the herb garden and the children’s garden.
The Louisiana Egg Commission will prepare and serve omelets, and visitors can sample Bloody Marys from Mason’s Grill along with samples from food companies in the LSU AgCenter Food Incubator.
AgCenter experts will conduct a plant health clinic and diagnose problems with plant specimens visitors bring to them.
Half-hour educational sessions beginning at 9 a.m. will include presentations by Jean Pittman on honeybees, Chrissy Mogren on good gardening practices for good bugs, Tyler Carr on creating unique container gardens, Yan Chen on pollinator protection and neonicotinoids, and Kiki Fontenot on backyard vegetable basics.
Children’s activities will include water slides (bring your swimsuits) and Trixie the Clown.
Admission to the event is $5 per person. Children under 4 will be admitted at no charge. The LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden is located at 4560 Essen Lane at I-10.
More information is available online at www.discoverburden.com or by phone at 225-763-3990.