Shelli and Travis Helms - Gold Level Louisiana Certified Habitat - Old Spanish Trail

ANPP congratulates Shelli and Travis Helms for their gold certified natural habitat

located on the banks of the Bayou Teche west of Jeanerette on the Old Spanish

Trail. For Shelli Cestia Helms, her fascination with native plants began three

years ago with the Yard to Habitat workshop offered by the Acadiana Native Plant

Project. “I signed up for the class to learn more about vegetable gardening and

left with my world broadened with the exciting possibilities that present

themselves when you work with Mother Nature’s native plants and habitats,”

Shelli explained.

Shelli began the gradual process of thoughtfully integrating native plants, shrubs,

and trees in their ten acres of mixed habitat land that already included dozens of

native plants. The property includes somewhat swampy areas, pasture lands, and

a mature tree canopy that includes numerous stately Live Oaks and a magnificent

Eastern Red Cedar that was the family’s five children's favorite climbing tree.

In the lower lying areas, Shelli has created a native prairie plot now in its third

year and a water garden with native iris, swamp mallow, lizard’s tails, reeds, and

a swamp titi. For bright splashes of color, she has planted beds of black-eyed

Susans, coreopsis, and Indian blankets. Most of the native plants have been

purchased from Urban Naturalist or ANPP.