Southern Garden Symposium

10/19/2026

As we look ahead to a wonderful Southern Garden Symposium on Friday and Saturday- enjoy this look at the past 37 years! 🪴🌳🌸🌻🍂🍁

A heartfelt thank you to our steering committee, sponsors, partners, friends in the community, and speakers for making this year’s program come together! We can’t wait to share it with you!

This video is brought to you by the Bunny Mellon Curricula at the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. The ICAA is very grateful to the Gerard B. Lambert Foundation for its generous support of this program, along with the Bunny Mellon Curricula Sponsors:

Premier Sponsor: Janice Parker Landscape Architects
Lead Sponsor: Hollander Design Landscape Architects
Continuing Education and Public Programs Sponsor: Charlotte Moss

10/17/2026

The plans are set and we are looking forward to welcoming everyone to this year’s Southern Garden Symposium! We are excited to have the plein air artists back with us thanks to Art House - Saint Francisville

10/14/2026

Shop at Birds of a Feather for a chance to win two tickets to the Southern Garden Symposium!

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10/09/2026

A Saturday in St. Francisville with the Southern Garden Symposium- Afton Villa Gardens has been a part of the Symposium since the very beginning- and we can’t wait to share why we love it so much!

From morning ‘til night- there is something planned all throughout the day. We start with breakfast in the ruins with Landry Team Real Estate, lunch under the oaks, live painting in the gardens, a program of design and horticulture talks, and dinner with ICAA Louisiana Chapter under the stars. All at Afton Villa Gardens!

Saturday speakers include:

📚 Barbara Adkins | Past Forward
Drawing from her new book, Barbara explores the beauty of incorporating pieces of the past into the gardens and landscapes of today.

🌿 Dr. Allan Armitage | From Chaos to Contentment
Dr. Armitage shares the transformation of his own outdoor space, along with the stories, lessons and practical gardening wisdom gathered along the way.

✏️ Jeff Allen | Landscape Design
Jeff takes us into the art and principles of landscape design and the thoughtful decisions that turn outdoor spaces into beautiful, meaningful places.

Between programs, guests are invited to explore Afton Villa Gardens and discover some of the exciting plans taking shape for its future.

There may be no better place to conclude a weekend devoted to gardens than one that has been part of the Southern Garden Symposium from the very beginning.

🌿 October 23–24, 2026 | St. Francisville, Louisiana

10/06/2026

🌿 FRIDAY AT AFTON VILLA GARDENS 🌿

Afton Villa Gardens has been part of the Southern Garden Symposium for as far back as we can remember. Through the years, Symposium guests have gathered here for memorable talks, personal tours, garden stories and, most importantly, fabulous floral designs under magnificent oaks!

This year, we continue that tradition on Friday morning with floral designer Will Hunt Lewis of Hunt & Bloom

🌸 Surrounded by the beauty of Afton Villa, Will presents a floral design demonstration, sharing his creativity, techniques and inspiration for bringing the garden indoors. Will Hunt’s arrangements focus on marrying the principles and elements of design and science to create floral masterpieces that are beautiful and last as long as possible!

Following the morning program, guests will gather for lunch at Afton Villa—a chance to relax, visit with fellow garden enthusiasts and enjoy one of St. Francisville’s most treasured landscapes before departing for afternoon workshops.

🌿 Join us October 23–24, 2026 for the 37th Southern Garden Symposium in St. Francisville.

Registration is filling quickly—make plans to join us!

10/04/2026

We’ll have a selection of plants from Poppin’ Up Plants at this year’s plant sale! Join us Saturday October 24, 2026 at Afton Villa Gardens to enjoy the plant sale!

The rain is here and we are loving it! The cooler fall days are on there way. 🍁 Enjoy this season with fresh potted plants on your patio or porch. Come check out our selection.

09/29/2026

🌿BUTLER GREENWOOD PLANTATION WORKSHOPS🌿

Our tour of the 37th Southern Garden Symposium locations continues at beautiful Butler Greenwood Plantation, where history, horticulture, and innovative gardening come together for two special workshops!

🌸 MORNING | Historic Camellias

Join Hunter Charbonnet for a morning devoted to one of the South’s most beloved garden treasures—the camellia.

Surrounded by Butler Greenwood’s own historic camellias, guests will learn more about these remarkable plants, their history, care, and the varieties that have graced Southern gardens for generations. It’s a wonderful opportunity to experience these living pieces of garden history in a setting where they have long been part of the landscape.

Also at this workshop Dr. Wayne Stromeyer tells about his efforts researching the historic camellias still living on the grounds of Butler Greenwood, and featured in his book Early Camellias in Louisiana.

🌿 AFTERNOON | Innovative Garden Solutions

In the afternoon, Lee Rouse turns our attention to practical solutions for today’s gardener. His workshop will explore innovative approaches to common garden challenges, including a hands-on look at building a rain garden—transforming an area that collects water into a functional and beautiful part of the landscape.

Two workshops. One historic setting. A full day of ideas you can take home to your own garden!

Join us for the 37th Southern Garden Symposium, October 23–24 in St. Francisville, and spend a weekend learning from experts, exploring extraordinary gardens, and sharing the experience with fellow garden enthusiasts.

🌿 Registration is filling quickly—make plans to join us!

09/28/2026

Today we take you to Rosedown—one of the finest remaining examples of 19th-century gardens!

The gardens were the province of Martha Turnbull throughout her life and are documented in her detailed journals. Today, they are maintained under the care of Trish Aleshire, manager of Rosedown. With the support of the Friends of Rosedown and the State of Louisiana, Rosedown’s gardens are carefully maintained to provide an accurate depiction of how they appeared in the 1830s.

A longtime backdrop for the Southern Garden Symposium, Rosedown will once again welcome guests this year for an evening of Southern fare beneath its expansive oak alley. Enjoy the company of fellow garden experts and enthusiasts at the Speakers’ Gala!

You won’t want to miss renowned gardening expert Dr. Allan Armitage! Dr. A will offer symposium guests two talks this year: a workshop on common-sense gardening, based on his book The Common Sense Gardener, and a talk that takes us from “Chaos to Contentment,” featuring tales of the transformation of his own outdoor space.
After years of planning and coordinating, the steering committee is delighted to welcome Dr. Armitage to the Southern Garden Symposium!

Make plans today and join us for the 37th Southern Garden Symposium, October 23–24, 2026, in St. Francisville, Louisiana!

09/23/2026

From the earliest days of the Symposium Oakley at Audubon State Historic Site has played a role in the Southern Garden Symposium. Today with support from the Friends of Oakley and the Louisiana State Parks, the grounds are maintained to give visitors a true glimpse of the past. Visitors see a working kitchen, blacksmith’s shop, and a kitchen garden next to the house, along with nature trails through the grounds.

This year Oakley will host Jeff Allen, Landscape Architect for a Friday afternoon workshop. The workshop will walk through the design process from beginning to end, demonstrating how to design from the ground up. See Jeff’s work at Jeff Allen and register today for a hands on workshop on garden design!

09/23/2026

Thirty seven years holds so many stories and so much history! We hope you will join us during this year’s Southern Garden Symposium in St. Francisville, LA!

October 23-24, 2026