Master Gardeners
of Greater New Orleans
SATURDAY, JULY 11, 2009
Noon TO 4:30 P.M.
East Bank Regional Library – Napoleon Room
4747 W. Napoleon Avenue
Metairie, LA 70001
Learn how to garden in harmony with nature by practicing environmentally friendly and
sustainable gardening techniques appropriate for our New Orleans climate. Join LSU
AgCenter horticultural experts for an afternoon of learning about this popular trend in
home gardening. Sustainable Gardening Educator and Master Gardener, Anne Baker,
will lead a panel discussion following our speaker presentations.
Dan Gill “Edible Flowers” – Flowers are most often treasured for the beauty
they bring to our gardens and lives with their bright colors and fragrances. But,
flowers can also play a culinary role. Dan will cover a number of edible flowers
we can grow here, including information on growing and harvesting.
Dr. David Himelrick “The Edible Landscape” – Edible landscaping offers an
alternative to conventional residential landscapes that are designed solely for
ornamental purposes. Using food-producing plants in the residential landscape
combines fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, vegetables, herbs, edible flowers and
ornamental plants into aesthetically pleasing designs.
Dr. Dale Pollet “Beneficials: Who They Are and How They Function” – The
environmental concerns about pesticide misuse and the effectiveness of any kind
of control or management program hinge on correctly identifying the insect. Learn
how to identify beneficial insects and how they function in a pest management
system to help reduce pesticide use.
Admission is free. Registration is required.
To confirm your registration, please call 504-838-1170 or e-mail:
mggno@agcenter.lsu.edu with subject line “Symposium Registration.” Please provide
your name, address and e-mail when submitting your registration by phone or e-mail.
Our Mission: To increase the public’s love and knowledge of gardening and responsible
stewardship of the environment.
Master Gardeners of Greater New Orleans
www.lsuagcenter.com/gno
Symposium on
Sustainable Gardening
Hosted by Master Gardeners of Greater New Orleans and LSU AgCenter
In today’s economy it is hard to take the long view when buying fresh foods especially when the prices seem to have no limits. It’s hard too to want or even find the time to prepare fresh from scratch meals all time but the rewards are great in the long run. There several misconceptions that fresh produce is expensive especially at farmers’ market and through CSAs. One of the biggest misconceptions is the these models are not economically competitive which is not true when you think about how your dollar spent at the farmers’ market or a CSA goes directly to the farmer and helps your local economy and local foods to continue to flourish. There are the hidden costs of that can seem to make these type of models expensive, for example, access to new or unusual varieties might mean that you end up not getting a chance to use those items because its not always easy to figure out just what to do with heirloom tomatoes or a white eggplant. That’s where your farmers’ market & your CSA’s come in to help you make the best of your food budget buying directly from the farm means that you have access to a lexicon of recipes, growing tips if you’re the home gardener type, or you simply just have the chance to connect with the person who grows the food and feeds you. So it should come as no surprise that the 
your veggie box.
Like eggplant & citrus the peach also hails from Asia. Surprisingly is a distant relative of the almond! The peach traveled West along the silk road and was cultivated in Persia and along the Mediterranean. Its genus species name (Prunus persica) suggests that it originated in Persia but historical accounts have shown that the Persians brought the peach with them from China. The peach first appeared in America in the 17th century. Peaches were not in commercial production until the mid-19th century.
The mystique of the peach has its place in many cultures, in China the peach symbolizes longevity and possible immortality. In Vietnamese culture it symbolizes peace and happiness. Its many amorous qualities may have something to do with it nutritional content which has protein, potassium, and vitamin C.
That’s right folks– just like the tomatoes, bananas, chili peppers, and avocados they are all berries and therefore fruits! What classifies all of them as berries? A berry can be defined as type of fruit that develops from the ovary wall of a plant flower. Pretty amazing, huh?
One such popular dish is Imam Bayeldi or stuffed eggplant and is found in Arabic, Armenian, and Mediterranean cultures in which the recipe varies slightly according to region. The name “Imam Bayeldi” means the imam fainted. An Imam is an Islamic leader of a mosque and its community. According to history or lore the Imam fainted after tasting such a rich dish of eggplant and olive oil. There is debate over whether the “richness” was because the superior & costly olive oil or the wonderfully flavorful dish itself. Often eggplant can tend to have bitterness which can be alleviated in a method known as ‘degorging’ where one slices the eggplant, salts the slices, and then rinses them. This ‘degorging’ method allows the eggplant to neither dry out or absorb too much oil which is often a matter of taste and/or texture preference.
