09/Apr/2009
Windrush Gardens Too
Stop and Smell the Roses at LSU’s Burden Research Center on Essen
By Emily Faget
Next time you’re stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on Essen Lane, why not stop and smell the roses by escaping into the LSU Burden Research Center at Essen and I-10.
Few people realize that just a few steps from where hundreds of drivers are stuck in gridlock there are more than 800 rose bushes in full bloom and the beautiful Windrush Gardens. Best of all: viewing these lovely spots and smelling the roses’ perfume is free.
There are few places in the world, and no other place in Baton Rouge, where so much beauty can be viewed in such a small area.
“We have hundreds of people who come in here on Saturday mornings, just to take in the rows and rows of roses,” Pat Hegwood, director of the Burden Research Center, said.
The All-America Rose Garden features classic red roses as well as many more interesting hybrids such as the “Sexy Rexy” or the “Rainbow Knockout.”
But Hegwood said it isn’t just the sight that takes his breath away. “It’s the smell. Just the smell when the roses are in bloom, is overwhelming.”
While the Burden Center has hundreds of acres dedicated to agricultural research, the rose garden is kept mainly for the community. On most weekday afternoons, visitors have the garden all to themselves.
These wandering guests have the opportunity to view never-before-seen roses and old favorites, all in full bloom during the spring. Many roses are All-America Rose Society official selections, chosen for their beauty, uniqueness and appearance.
In 2008, the AARS chose two Burden Center roses as winners, the “Mardi Gras” and the “Dream Come True.” The Mardi Gras rose features a festive pink bloom with orange and yellow edges, while the Dream Comes True blooms yellow petals, touched with a delicate pink edge.
Windrush Gardens
But if what you find just one mile from Essen Lane isn’t enough to calm your jangled nerves, keep driving down the scenic winding road that leads to Windrush Gardens. Park, turn off your engine and find your way into the seven-acre green garden of towering oaks, vibrant azaleas and eye-catching Louisiana irises.
The gardens are named after the 440-acre Windrush Plantation that was once owned by the Burden family. The Burdens began the donation process in 1966. They gave the property to LSU in 50-acre segments. The last section was donated to LSU in 1990.
Tucked away at the center of Windrush Gardens is a quaint white house where the Burden family once lived. The grassy courtyard is always quiet, covered with a ceiling of crepe myrtles that block out the interstate noise and honking car horns. The only sound is that of a small pond or the occasional cricket.
Hegwood said that when former President Ronald Reagan campaigned in Louisiana, he chose to stay the night at the Windrush house.
It only takes an hour to see all of Windrush Gardens, plenty of time for rush hour to die down. At the edge of Windrush Gardens stands a manmade oasis that sits just off the road. The island holds moss-covered oak trees, palms and even a couple of Canadian geese.
So sometime soon, take the challenge. Next time you’re about to enter the constantly gridlocked interstate, drive the short path into the Burden Center. Take a quick stroll through the rose garden and if you have some more time to kill, make your way through Windrush Gardens. Traffic probably won’t move ten feet in the time it takes to get there, yet the world will seem a million miles away.
