Ask, and you shall recieve: Ag departments lending a hand

Poule d’Eau Kyle reported to the Banner-Tribune Monday that he has received approval from the committee at Shadowlawn and the board of the Louisiana Landmarks Society to move forward with his plan to build a butterfly garden on the Shadowlawn Plantation’s grounds in Franklin.
“It will be located on the north side of the house,” Kyle said. “So, if you are looking at the front of the house; that is the left side.
“I picked that area because I’ve got all the sun I need right there.
“That’s where I want to start, and then I will progress to the back of the yard as I work on other projects.”
Kyle is currently looking for volunteers to assist with projects ancillary to, and in conjunction with, the construction of three arbors, as well as a fountain, catch basin and brick pathways.
He said he has already enlisted the help of Steve Nugent and Nick Adams, Agriscience instructors at Centerville High School and Franklin Senior High School respectively, as well as the assistance of their students.
The help and support of both agriculture departments means a two-fold benefit for Kyle.
Kyle now has the commitment of skilled labor, leaving only material costs to be met. But he also achieved one of his stated goals for beautifying Franklin in the first place: “To get our kids interested in our community and our heritage, and to show how important it is to contribute.”
He said he plans to plant the proposed garden “from seed,” and with plants and flowers that will naturally attract local varieties of butterflies and bees. This means he can save on plant costs, as well as assure the health of the plants and flowers from the moment they break the surface of the soil.
Kyle doesn’t expect to start construction until August, but he intends to use the summer to make preparations and to secure materials.
Aside from his project at Shadowlawn, Kyle has three swamp maples, purchased by the city, which he will plant across the bayou from Parc sur la Teche… once he has found a volunteer with an aluminum hull boat and a small motor, to ferry him and the trees to the bank on the other side of the bayou where they will be planted.
Kyle is a volunteer, and he needs volunteers to achieve the visions and plans he has for the beautification of Franklin.
“I motivate people,” Kyle said, “and my motivation isn’t finished. I’ll most probably do this until I die… or at least until I get everything accomplished that I want to get accomplished.”
To volunteer call 813-765-2739 and leave a message.