Native Plant Advocate of the Month: Rachel Cooper Courville

Rachel and her husband Steve live in Lafayette, in Rivers Bend subdivision.

Rivers Bend is the picture of suburbia, replete with lawns all mowed at

roughly the same time and many beautiful camellias, azaleas, and amaryllis. She

is taking things slowly to win over the neighbors, with a large native garden in the

front yard that is carefully tended, plants labeled, border clear, and a small circular

prairie tucked off to the side. The circular prairie grows by a foot every once in a

while, surrounded by bricks and every plant labeled.

The backyard is another story. This is her palette, where she can build busy

pollinator gardens and species specific spots of color. She has a sunflower

garden with every available (to her) species of rudbeckia, and a purple coneflower

garden featuring beautiful plants provided by Louise Prejean, propagated in her

own garden. There is an elderberry and aster garden in the back that towers over

her little she-shed. She dreams of a patch of Gaillardia reminiscent of Grandpa

Randy Moshier’s prize-winning patch.

Rachel started learning about local gardening after relocating from upstate New

York in 2008. She was elated to experience a year-round growing season after

trying to cram everything into the three months between Memorial Day and Labor

Day. Until she discovered how, she knew nothing about growing anything. What a

difference a habitat makes! At Heather Warner-Finley’s invitation, she enrolled in

the Master Gardener program in 2015 at the Ira Nelson Horticulture Center. It was

a wonderful experience, and although she and her husband were deeply involved

in running their business, Accessibility by Design, Inc., the many things she

learned set her on the right path. Heather reached out again in 2024 and invited

her to join the Acadiana Native Plant Project (ANPP). A beautiful relationship was

formed. Now Rachel goes to Tuesday morning workdays as often as possible, is

secretary to the ANPP Board, secretary to the Louisiana Native Plant Society

(LNPS) Board, and bookkeeper for the Louisiana Native Plant Certification

Program (LNPCP). She continues to add more native plants to her now Silver

Level Certified Habitat in Rivers Bend. Gold or bust!