At their January meeting, members of Hammond Garden Club were introduced to something we can do with flowers besides making an arrangement to beautify our kitchen or dining room table. We learned that we can also use them as part of the dinner we are putting on the table!
Our President Pat Graves introduced guest speaker Carlos Doolittle who is the assistant director of landscape and grounds at Southeastern Louisiana University, who spoke on finding the “sweet spot” in home landscapes for edible-producing cultivars.
Doolittle earned a bachelor’s degree in horticulture from SLU in 1999, and after working five years at McLendon’s Nursery and Garden Center in Ponchatoula, he returned to the university to work full time. In 2025, he received the President’s Award for Excellence. A press release for the award said that Doolittle enjoys influencing campus outdoor spaces for the benefit of the students, fellow employees and campus visitors and enjoys designing renovations to campus landscapes.
Doolittle said getting to play in the dirt on campus is “the best employment of all.” Finding the right plant for the right spot is the starting point for any renovation, whether at a new entrance for the university or at his own home in Loranger. Space is the factor that is often non-negotiable, so he does research and tries to get “double duty” out of the chosen plants.
One way to do that is with edible-producing cultivars, he said. In home gardens one of the biggest issues is when to harvest. Fruit not harvested becomes unsightly and a possible hazard. In his own garden, he competes with the wildlife for the fruits of his labors. His property borders a creek and woods, therefore the wildlife often get to the fruit before he can.
Doolittle was an excellent speaker and had many slides to explain about cross-pollination plants such as blueberries that also produce beautiful foliage in addition to being edibles and work well with other plantings, like Japanese magnolias, to create beautiful displays with their deep vibrant reds. He mentioned several different kinds that do well in this area, some heat-tolerant, some early-ripening, and some that are dwarf shrubs.
He said he has had success with some self-pollinating, like fig trees, persimmon and kumquats. Cultivars like kumquats, satsumas and Meyer lemons all have varying degrees of heartiness in South Louisiana’s unpredictable winter temperatures. Gardeners need to be prepared with shade cloths and heaters or Christmas lights to prevent loss by freezes.
When members’ questions had been answered and Doolittle’s talk had ended, Pat thanked him for being our speaker. When applause from the membership ended, she announced the buffet was ready and lunches that had been ordered would be served.
After all the goodness of the buffet was consumed the meeting ensued with notification as usual that minutes of the last meeting would be dispensed with as noted from the club, and Pat called on Treasurer Phyllis diBenedetto for her report with information about the proceeds from the Holiday Tour of Homes.
She then called on Garden of the Month Chairperson Dona Calcote who praised the January winners, Jake and Laura LeBlanc, and the magic of blooming roses in January at their home on Audubon Circle off Old Covington Highway.
The next report was from Link Award Chairperson Linda Broussard who reported that Sonic Drive-In Restaurant at 1600 SW Railroad Ave. had won the honors for its wonderful landscaping, especially in an area where there is very little landscaping done by businesses.
Books and Library Chairperson Joan Davis said Hammond Branch Library was thrilled with the Christmas gift of six new garden-themed books and a total of 380 vegetable and flower seed packets donated to the library’s Rosenblum Seed Packet program.
Juanita Pearson reported that the club had collected $435 in cash and food for Hammond Kiwanis Club’s food drive. Kiwanis was able to provide 125 boxes of food for needy families, and Mayor Pete Panepinto helped with deliveries.
In new business, Dorothy Mecom was unanimously approved and voted in as a new member. She is very eager to work for the club and had even volunteered to work at the Tour of Homes even though she wasn’t a member at the time.
Kathleen Bohlinger reported that the plans had changed for planting a walnut tree – to get one large enough would be very expensive. So committee member Jennifer Allen said she knows someone at Hammond Westside Montessori School, and the new plan was to plant a tree there.
All new business completed, Pat asked for door prizes to be distributed. They were bright yellow or pink chrysanthemums and won by Marta Lichtl, Dona Calcote, Pat Graves, Linda Ross and Carolyn Todd.
Hopefully no one in this city was hurt (too badly) by the weather, be it wind, rain or freezing temperatures. But many in our state and many other states have been not only hurt but lost homes and even lives; we pray for Our Lord to be with and take care of them all, in their misery and deaths.
And, dear readers, if I may, I leave you with these thoughts: The miraculous holidays are over, and I hope you and yours are well, peaceful and happy. Another time for much fun and frivolity is upon us; please take care, have fun and “Laissez les bons temps rouler!” God bless Hammond, and God bless America!
Linda Broussard lives in Hammond, America.
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