Randle T. Moore Center
Headquarters of the
Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners
Our
Story
The
Northwest Louisiana Master Gardener Association,
Inc. was organized in 2000 with the help of area
horticulture agent Dr. Joe White. Our mission is to
support the LSU AgCenter in disseminating
research-based gardening information to the people
of north Louisiana. Since classes began in 1998, 460
individuals have been certified as Louisiana Master
Gardeners and have gone on to educate the community.
Presently our programs include the
World of
Gardening Seminar Series with four free lectures
presented to the public annually; the Master
Gardener Hotline, a service providing answers to
gardeners’ telephoned questions;
The Seedling, our
monthly newsletter;
Le Tour des Jardins, a spring
tour of area gardens; and the April plant sale.
Over the years there have been more excellent
projects worthy of mention that have not been
included here. Many public and non-profit gardens
have been designed, installed or maintained,
including Pioneer Heritage Center Gardens at LSU-S,
Schumpert Conservatory, the gardens at the
Louisiana
State Exhibit Museum,
Bossier City Liberty Garden
and now the Randle T. Moore Center Gardens.
Currently 185 Master Gardeners serve the Northwest
Louisiana region. Our goals for next year include
the installation of a greenhouse to use in our
Master Gardener classes and in a joint venture with
the Council on Aging. We also plan to install Phase
II of the public gardens at Randle T. Moore. This
phase will include a butterfly garden, a vegetable
garden and a cutting garden. It is our aim to develop a demonstration garden for
the citizens of Northwest Louisiana that is not only
beautiful and provides a site for special occasions
but is also educational and a model for sustainable
gardening.
The Randle T. Moore Center is a unique joint venture
between the City of Shreveport, Louisiana State
University Agricultural Center and Northwest
Louisiana Master Gardeners (NWLAMG). In 2004 David
Helms, our Master Gardener President at the time,
and representatives from the LSU AgCenter and the
city began talks to renovate the Carriage House on
the property for an office and classroom for NWLAMG
and the LSU AgCenter Horticulture Program. Two years
later the facility was completed and the first phase
of our landscape project begun. Many thanks to the
original visionaries and the subsequent donors for
helping us realize our vision. We look forward to
giving back to the community for many years to come.
We are a non-profit organization, funding our
programs entirely through our fundraising
activities. If you would like to contribute to our
programs, add to the Randle T. Moore Gardens, or
have need of our services please let us know.
The Master Gardeners of Northwest Louisiana are
proud to call the Randle T. Moore Center home.
To contact Denyse Cummins, the AgCenter horticulture
agent, or the Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners,
you may now call
698-0010.
