about us
Our Mission
To increase the public’s love for and knowledge of gardening
and responsible stewardship of the environment.
Welcome!
Established in 2006, the Master Gardeners of Greater New Orleans (MGGNO) is a non-profit, volunteer organization serving Orleans and Jefferson parishes as an outreach of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service (LCES). To that end, we assist the LSU AgCenter to meet the educational needs of home gardeners in our community while providing an enjoyable, worthwhile service experience for our members. Our members are all certified Louisiana Master Gardeners committed to sharing proven, research-based horticulture information that protects the environment and promotes sustainability.
Currently, we support several community gardens where neighborhood residents can learn sustainable gardening practices that yield reliable, seasonal crops recommended for our area. The harvest is then shared with the community. Our members also help maintain many demonstration gardens where visitors can learn how to grow plants specifically suited to our climate such as Louisiana Super Plants, natives, plants to attract pollinators, butterflies and hummingbirds, aromatic herbs and ornamentals.
At the Pelican Greenhouse in City Park, master gardeners work with horticultural staff to propagate plants and staff their monthly plant sales. Twice annually, our master gardeners volunteer at the Spring Garden Show and Fall Garden Festival held in the New Orleans Botanical Garden to provide essential staff, greet visitors, answer questions, as well as host an educational exhibit.
Through our Speakers Bureau, we offer free educational programs on a variety of horticulture topics. Our volunteer speakers present to groups in the Greater New Orleans area such as garden clubs, libraries, plant societies, schools as well as at garden shows.
Finally, through this website and our social media outreach, we hope to inspire and enrich your gardening journey in Greater New Orleans with timely gardening tips, features, events and educational resources.
We know what it means to garden in Greater New Orleans. Come grow with us!
2024 Board of Directors
Executive Committee:
- President – Jim Poche (2019)
- Vice President – Linda Vinsanau (2006)
- Secretary – Pat Ohrin (2022)
- Treasurer – Jessica Doyle (2021)
Directors:
- Sharon LaHoste (2022)
- Karen Smith (2021)
- Stephanie Smith (2021)
- Angela Theresa Henderson (2023)
- Membership in Master Gardeners of Greater New Orleans (MGGNO) is open to all certified Louisiana Master Gardeners who reside in Orleans or Jefferson parish and who fulfill the required twenty (20) service and six (6) education hours annually, To apply, please complete the Membership Application and submit your $25.00 annual dues.
LSU AgCenter Agents
Dr. Joe Willis
Extension Agent – Horticulture
Greater New Orleans Area
504-483-9471
504-258-3392 cell
JWillis@agcenter.lsu.edu
Office:
6 Victory Drive
New Orleans, LA 70124
Mailing Address:
1 Palm Drive
New Orleans, LA 70124
Facebook.com/GNOGardening
Chris Dunaway
Extension Agent
Jefferson Parish
CDunaway@agcenter.lsu.edu
Facebook.com/GNOGardening
Office:
1221 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Suite 300
Jefferson, LA 70123
504-736-6519
Acknowledgements
This website is an educational outreach project of MGGNO’s Online Communications Committee. Contributing members include:
Design & Implementation
- Faun Fenderson
- Linda Wegmann
Photography
- LSU AgCenter
- Michael Glaspel
- Sandy Pitre
- Linda Wegmann
- Jim Poche
Content Contributors
- Karen Blackburn
- Chris Belser
- Dr. Joe Willis, LSU AgCenter
- Chris Dunaway, LSU AgCenter
- Anna Timmerman, LSU AgCenter
- Linda Wegmann
Editors
- Linda Vinsanau
- Linda Wegmann
Email Communications
- Sharon LaHoste
Projects
- Cynthia Maldonado
Social Media
- Facebook, Linda Wegmann
- Instagram, Sara Nehrbass
Speakers
- Usha Ramadhyani