Spring is definitely one of our favorite seasons in Baton Rouge: with all of the native flowers that bloom to some of our favorite local plant stores and sales! For this blog, we asked a round of questions to our Insiders to share their favorite plants, sales, and tips for keeping your plants alive for our readers. Let’s see what they had to say! Also, continue to scroll down to the bottom, as we share about the much anticipated event, “Flower Fest”; we will be sharing the details below!
What are your top 3 favorite plants?
Photo from Baton Rouge Succulents Co.
Cameron: I am a HUGE plant lady, and I’m also a master gardener! I'm a sucker for pretty foliage, so my favorites are probably my philodendron birkin (super pretty and easy to care for), my calathea makoyana aka “peacock plant” (has the coolest leaves), and my dieffenbachia memoria corsii (again, the leaves are so beautiful)!
Rebecca : Lettuce, Pineapple, Aloe Vera
Megan: Cacti, succulents, and hydrangeas. Cacti and succulents are so easy to care for. I picked hydrangeas because they grew outside my Nana’s house, which I love!
Sarah: Any succulent, a simple pathos, and hibiscus
Karleigh: Pathos, snake plant, and ferns. They are the easiest to keep alive. I'm a newbie plant mom, so I have just started with the easiest and lowest maintenance to ease myself in.
Jay Curlee: Pathos! They're nearly indestructible and look pretty in vases. Aloe Vera and succulents are the same, and they are easy to maintain.
Share some of your helpful tips to keeping your indoor and outdoor plants alive.
Cameron:
For indoors: Water when the plant/soil actually needs it and not just on a set schedule. Check the optimal conditions for that particular plant - houseplants are generally pickier than outdoor ones, so be sure to check the light and humidity needs. Get pots with drainage holes.
Outdoors: You'll need to water more than you think in the summer. Lighting needs for outdoor plants are super important - be sure to pick appropriate plants for a particular area. Find out how fast a plant grows, how large it gets, and if it comes back year after year (and if so how to prune) and plant appropriately.
Rebecca: Rotate the pot & water with filtered water.
Megan:
Indoors: I like to keep mine on a windowsill for sunlight, use a calendar to track watering/soil change days, and use cacti/succulents or other low maintenance plants for the inside.
Outdoors: Catnip is grown best with average amounts of water and sunlight. Green onions and basil are easy to grow outside. Cacti stems can be broken off, repotted, and grown again.
Sarah:
Indoors: Don't overwater them, make sure they are getting the light requirements they need (bring them outside some days if needed to get extra light) and plant in pots with drainage holes.
Outdoors: Have your soil tested by LSU Ag so you know what you're dealing with before planting. If you need to add more organic matter into your soil, do so in early spring for a fruitful year of growth. Be mindful of the light each corner of your yard receives, and choose plants that will work for that space. Experiment and have fun with it! Not every plant will succeed, but that's part of the process!
Karleigh:
Read the informational card that comes with your plant. This tells you what your plant needs to thrive. Wet your plants! Don't forget to water your plants. Thirsty Thursday used to mean bar hopping, now I just stay home and water my plants.
The catchy phrase helps me remember to check on my plants and water them. Pay attention to the growth of your plant. Upgrade your pot as your plant grows so they don't grow out of the pot.
Research if your plants are safe around your pets if you have any. Keep toxic plants out of reach from your pets, or just stick to the nontoxic ones.
Name your favorite place(s) to buy plants from that is a Baton Rouge business.
Cameron: Clegg's is my absolute favorite. Huge selection of indoor and outdoor plants, employees are so knowledgeable, and I get a master gardener discount. They have a few locations in and around BR, but their largest is off Siegen. Address: 5696 Siegen Ln, Baton Rouge, LA 70809 & cleggsnursery.com
Rebecca: Louisiana Nursery is closest to me. Address: 39245 LA-42, Prairieville, LA 70769 & louisiananursery.com
Megan: Rouses. There are fresh flowers for my vases and they give the kitchen table a pop of color. Address: 14630 Village Market St, Baton Rouge, LA 70817 & rouses.com
Sarah: I LOVE the local Mid-City Clegg’s. It's less than a mile from my house and the team is always so helpful! They have recently expanded this location, so they now have everything you might need to start planting indoors or outdoors! Address: 274 N Donmoor Ave, Baton Rouge, LA 70806 & cleggsnursery.com
Karleigh: I've only gotten mine from Rouses or my grandmother (the OG plant lady in my life)!
Jay Curlee: I will occasionally get plants from the Red Stick Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings. Address: 501 N 5th St, Baton Rouge, LA 70802 & breada.org
Master Gardener Plant Sale is happening on March 27, 2021 8AM - 2PM
Shop from over 3,000 homegrown perennials and annuals specifically selected by the East Baton Rouge Master Gardeners for success in your garden! The East Baton Rouge Master Gardener Annual Plant Sale raises money to support the educational activities provided by Master Gardeners and the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens. Address: 4560 Essen Ln, Baton Rouge, LA 70809 & Master Gardeners Plant Sale.
Plant Sale Policies:
- Masks are required.
- 1 ticket per person.
- Tickets are not transferable to another time slot.
- No smoking on site.
- No pets at the plant sale area.
Photo by: LeeKay Photography
This two day outdoor celebration is perfect for all ages. With acres of outdoor space and plenty of room for social distancing, Pointe-Marie is excited to host Louisiana's first Flower Fest. For more details on charitable sponsorships or to purchase gala tables without extra fees visit www.theflowerfest.com or email amy@clovercreativeagency.com. Address: 14200 River Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70820 located at the beautiful Pointe-Marie Subdivision.
SATURDAY APRIL 3RD
VIP Early Access: 9am-Noon Perfect for floral enthusiasts, come witness the final touches being placed by the competing floral teams. Ask questions and learn about their inspiration in this more intimate experience. Space is very limited. Stay throughout the rest of the festival to enjoy your day.
General Admission: Noon-4pm Experience a floral explosion throughout Pointe-Marie square with the best in Louisiana floral teams presenting interpretations of this year's theme "Louisiana Promenade". Cast your vote for your favorite team, enjoy food trucks, champagne, soak up knowledge at a workshop, or purchase flower crowns and more. Tickets are based on time slots to better facilitate social distancing.
Gala 6-10pm Immerse yourself into a Victorian Spring Promenade with a Louisiana twist. With sounds, sights, and all of your senses excited, you will experience floral food and installations. 6-7PM Cocktail hour will have modern strings music by The Foto Sisters with appetizing delights. Walk the square and cast the final fan votes for your favorite creations before the panel of judges begin. 7PM dinner will take place while host Pat Shingleton and judges Sarah Campbell (Netflix Star from The Big Flower Fight), Liz Koh (local art enthusiast and news anchor), and Jay Ducote (Culinary Personality & Food Network star) weigh in on their favorites. Numerous photo opportunities, Bubble Tap Champagne and LeDoodle Cotton Candy pairings, Catering from Bacon & Fig Events/Louisiana Culinary Institute, and more await those who attend. Individual tickets are available plus tables. Purchase individual tickets online or email amy@clovercreativeagency.com for more information regarding tables. No walk up tickets will be sold.
SUNDAY APRIL 4TH
Soak up the beauty of The Flower Fest. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through the square and take photos with all of the jaw-dropping floral installations and creations. Sandwiches and wraps will be sold from Blouin's Cafe, but this day will be quiet and simple with no other festival activities. Tickets are less expensive as there are no food trucks, vendors, etc. flowers only. Bring your own picnic blankets as seating is limited.
Visit theflowerfest.com to get your tickets!
Packages are available for Early Access + Gala.
Proceeds from the two day festival & Gala go to St. Jude Children's Hospital through the non-profit Pointe-Marie Institute 501C.
Thank you to our sponsors: Louisiana Wholesale Florists, Clegg's Nursery, Alvarez Construction, Lamar Dixon, Clover Creative Agency, Forage Floral Co, Ninth Ward Nursery, Iverstine Farms, Aetna, Hunt's Florists, Southern Hospitality Rentals, Truly Haute, Capital City Lighting, The Keeping Room, and InRegister.
Sweet Baton Rouge® Spring Tees like our botanical and plant lady tees are a hot seller this time of year! We love to bring lots of colorful palettes into play that showcase the beautiful native flowers you see all around Louisiana!
Say hello to our Louisiana Botanical T-shirt! Explore the beauty that our Louisiana Botanicals have to offer with our newest Louisiana Botanicals T-Shirt which is a perfectly soft, cool, all-cotton t-shirt that can be styled in so many different ways all through the summer! Shop it today! Comes in Heather Mauve, too!
Another store favorite is our Plant Lady T-shirt. Buy me plants, and tell me I’m pretty! Our new Plant Lady T-shirt is perfect for all seasons, but especially spring and summer. We plan to style it with all the plant lady gear like our gloves, potting soil, pots, and plants of course!
Shop it today, and be on the lookout for our new Plant Lady Hat.
Find these tees and much more all on sweetbatonrouge.com!
