In Louisiana, the word “heritage” can mean any one of the state’s many culturally legacies, be it food, music or language. With so much to look back on and admire, one may be surprised to see focus on another Louisiana tradition— gardening.
Since its implementation into the University in 1981, the LSU Hilltop Arboretum has made the most of its 14-acre landscape as an isolated study sight for students and a picturesque nature escape for weekenders. Peggy Coates, director of the arboretum, makes sure visitors are up to date with all of the arboretum’s public events. 
Coates’ latest occasion is the arboretum’s annual symposium. This year’s topic titled “Louisiana Garden Heritage” comes in preparation of an April tour of Chêne Vert, a large-scale historical garden revived by avid Louisiana restorers Wayne and Cheryl Stromeyer. Described as “a lavish hodgepodge of design and plants,” this year’s symposium will feature discussions of nineteenth century gardening and planning. 
“The design itself, [Stromeyer] took from the New Orleans book of the Notarial Archives,” Coates said.
The symposium will feature six speakers, each bringing a varied discussion of Louisiana gardening.
The day’s first presenter, Lake Douglas, is a university associate professor and will review the techniques used in historic French Quarter gardening. Douglas plans to draw information from his two gardening publications, focusing on the works of nineteenth century horticulturalist Thomas Affleck.
“When we saw the garden, we became so inspired by it that…we would use different parts to put together topics and speakers for the symposium,” Coates said. “Lake is carrying forth [Affleck’s] tradition of studying that history.”
One of the prominent features of the Stromeyer garden are its ancient camellias, which is a moniker given to camellias that predate the twentieth century. These camellias tie into the talk to be given by Tom Johnson of South Carolina. 
Johnson is an employee of South Carolina’s Magnolia Plantation and will discuss the estate’s noteworthy contribution to the introduction of ancient camellias to the United States.
Covington, Louisiana resident Marc Pastorek has made a name for himself in the gardening world as a proponent for meadow restoration. Pastorek’s interests dovetail with the pastures found in Chêne Vert. His company, Pastorek Habitats, works to rejuvenate and generate meadows and grasslands in Mississippi and Louisiana. His work with grass seeding and landscape reconstruction will be applied in his talk concerning the natural beautification of cities. 
Speakers G. Mike Shoup and Robbi Will will be present at the symposium as representatives of the Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham, Texas. The eight-acre gardening complex serves as a home to wide array of roses of both old and new varieties.
As the emporium’s owner, Shoup will explain the usefulness of roses, specifically antique roses, for amateur gardening. His newest book, titled “Empress of the Garden,” further discusses roses and their utilitarian aspect.
These speakers, along with other figures from the gardening and horticulture community, will be present at the symposium to educate attendees on technique, layout design and general gardening history in Louisiana and other southern regions.
The annual LSU Hilltop Arboretum symposium will held at the LSU Design Auditorium on Saturday, Jan. 24. The symposium will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. Attendees will be able to have their books signed by the symposium’s speakers.

Gallery • 2 Photos

Raegan Labat

Books written by Lake Douglas sit on a table at Hilltop Arboretum. Doulgas will be speaking at LSU's hilltop Arboretum symposium "Louisiana Garden Heritage: A Lavish Hodgepodge of Design and Plants."