Horticulturist to discuss Italian gardens at upcoming SFA lecture

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University will host the next installment of the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 18, in the Agriculture Building, Room 110, located at 1924 Wilson Drive.

Dr. Leonardi Lombardini, a Texas A&M University horticulturist, will present "Italian Gardens through Time: from Rome to the Renaissance and Beyond."

Lombardini received his Laurea degree (equivalent to bachelor's and master's degrees) in forestry from the Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy, in 1993, and his Ph.D. in horticulture from Michigan State University in 1999. He held a post-doctoral position at the Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center at Washington State University and joined the faculty of the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M as horticulturist/pecan physiologist in 2002.

Lombardini's research focus is plant physiology, especially concerning gas exchange and environmental stress, with a particular emphasis on pecans. In addition, he is interested in investigating the nutritional aspects of pecans and their properties in relation to human health.

The Theresa and Les Reeves Garden Lecture Series is normally held the third Thursday of each month at the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture's SFA Mast Arboretum. A rare plant raffle will be held after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the Theresa and Les Reeves lecture series endowed fund are always appreciated.

For more information, call (936) 468-1832 or email ggrantgardens@yahoo.com.