Tours of Northwest Louisiana's prettiest gardens returned Saturday

Henrietta Wildsmith, Shreveport Times
·1 min read
Christina Cabell, right, talks to people who attended the Le Tour des Jardins tour in her garden Saturday morning, June 4, 2022.
Christina Cabell, right, talks to people who attended the Le Tour des Jardins tour in her garden Saturday morning, June 4, 2022.

There was a soft breeze as the birds chirped in the distance Saturday afternoon while people strolled through some of Shreveport's loveliest gardens during the Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners' annual spring garden tour, Le Tour des Jardins.

"It's special because we did not get to have it last year because of COVID"  said Master Gardner Sheila Harkey, who was there to talk to guests and answer questions. "There is a lot of camaraderie between those of us who like gardening. People should come to be outside, breathe in the fresh air, meet new friends, and get ideas".

This year's tour included six privately owned gardens throughout Shreveport and Bossier. One of which was Scott and Christina Cabell's garden in the Kings Pointe subdivision. They have spent 18 years on their garden that include arches, sculptures and a glass bottle tree among the flowers and plants.

"Every garden should represent the gardener themselves. It should reflect the love of nature you have, your artistic talent that you may have... I just think it should be a journey," said Christina Cabell.

The annual event raises money to help the volunteer development program offered by the LSU AgCenter. In 2020, Louisiana volunteers provided 39,788 hours of service throughout the state, which is equal to 22 full-time employees. According to the LSU AgCenter website it provides an economic impact of just over $1.2 million dollars.

"It was so exciting to see so many old faces in the gardens and new ones as well, and they definitely let us know that LeTour des Jardins has been missed in Shreveport and Bossier City. We have already started picking the gardens for next year," said Master Gardner Michele Wiener.

Henrietta Wildsmith is a photojournalist for the Shreveport Times, part of the USA Today Network. Reach her at hwildsmith@gannett.com, Facebook or Instagram at @hanketta. 

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Tours of Northwest Louisiana's prettiest gardens returned Saturday