Director of LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden and Professor of Horticulture

Guilty pleasure: Bluebell ice cream, just about any flavor

Food item from the farmer’s market: Fresh baked bread from Tout va Bien

Way to get myself moving in the morning: Eating breakfast with my cat, Fang, reading the New York Times

Childhood memory: Fishing at my grandparents’ pasture in Oklahoma

Item in my wardrobe: Lands’ End rugby shirt from college

Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Online shopping destination: Plant Delights Nursery

Locale for date night: City Club

Most treasured possession: John Deere tractor

Plant: At the moment, two-wing silverbell, Halesia diperta

Way to spend $20: Trader Joe’s orchids

Hidden talent: Restoring old houses