(Distributed 11/22/06) It’s the time of year when many people go shopping for trees to decorate their homes during the holiday season. LSU AgCenter expert Dr. Don Reed offers a few tips on selecting and caring for a tree that may help you get the most enjoyment from it.

(For Release On Or After 12/01/06) This time of the year deciduous trees drop tons of leaves. Most people rake them up, put them in bags and place the bags on the curb to be picked up with the trash. What a shame!

(For Release On Or After 12/08/06) Paperwhite and amaryllis are two bulbs popular for "forcing" in Louisiana during the winter. Forcing bulbs means growing them to bloom earlier than they would under normal landscape conditions.

(For Release On Or After 12/29/06) The next few weeks are an important time for planting tulips, hyacinths and other bulbs you previously stored in your refrigerator to get them ready for planting. Won’t it be great to get the refrigerator space back!

(For Release On Or After 12/22/06) The winter solstice occurred this week, and it marks a turning point in the length of our days and nights. Why is that important for gardeners? Mainly because it reminds us that changing of the seasons affects the way our plants perform.

(For Release On Or After 12/15/06) An easy-to-make garland might be just what you need to spruce up your front entrance before your holiday company arrives, and you may be able to make one from the "trimmings" you have from pruning trees and bushes this time of year.

(Distributed 11/22/06) Consumers must be cautious of identity thieves when shopping during the holiday season, says LSU AgCenter family economist Dr. Jeanette Tucker. "Be on your guard all the time. By taking certain precautions, you can save yourself hours of time recovering from identity theft," she advises.

(Distributed 11/21/06) Five Louisiana 4-H members attended the first Southern Region Teen Leadership Conference earlier this month at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, Ga.

(Distributed 11/21/06) Many people use poinsettias to decorate their homes during the holiday season. The plants you purchase now can be a beautiful part of your decorations, but they’re probably only good for this season, the experts say.

(Distributed 11/21/06) The LSU AgCenter recently brought beef producers from around the state together at the Bald Cypress Cattle Co. in Amite for a field day designed to demonstrate scientifically based and environmentally sound management practices they could implement.