Hodges Gardens

When I was 5 years old, we moved from Natchitoches to Westlake, LA, just across the big bridge from Lake Charles. My grandparents lived in Many, Louisiana, two hours north of Westlake. It seemed like such a long trip back then. My mom taught school and it seems like almost every weekend, we left on Friday, drove to my grandparents’ farm, stayed for the weekend and came home on Sunday afternoon. We probably didn’t go as often as I think we went but we went pretty often. My grandparents didn’t have air conditioning or indoor plumbing for the longest time, but I loved being there – being with them, with their dogs, with their chickens, in their garden, going to their old country church where my grandma played the piano.

There was a place on the right side of the highway as we were going to my grandparents, probably less than 15 miles from their farm, called Hodges’ Gardens. It was massive (the website says over 700 acres) and we would often stop and drive through. I remember being in awe of the beautiful flowers. It seems that we never stopped when there weren’t millions of beautiful blooms, but in reality, we probably only stopped when my parents knew things were blooming. In Louisiana, that really could have been all year. I just don’t remember. They had roses and everything you could imagine.

There was a big waterfall as part of a display and I think every Easter from the time I was about 5 years old til my sister and I were too old to be agreeable, my parents took our picture in front of the waterfall, all dressed up in our Easter dresses, bonnets and purses included. I still remember a picture of us with our little dotted Swiss dresses that mom had made.

Probably in the 1970’s a hotel was built across the highway and apparently there are cabins somewhere inside Hodges Gardens.

Everything was owned and maintained by a wealthy oilman, Mr. Hodges. According to the website the Gardens were donated to the State of Louisiana 2007 and Hodges Gardens became a part of the state park system.

Due to Louisiana’s budget woes, or maybe lack of visitors to Hodge’s Gardens, effective October 1, it will be transferred back to the Hodges Foundation and will no longer be a state park. I have heard it is closing and I have heard that the foundation is trying to keep at least part of it open. Most of the websites I see indicate that it is closing. I cannot imagine how much time and money it would take to keep a place like that maintained and open for the public.

It’s sad that something that was so much a part of my childhood is closing on October 1. I haven’t been there in forever. If it wasn’t so far, I’d love to go back one more time before it closes but I’m betting with the budget cuts and closing so close, the gardens aren’t nearly like I remember them being so maybe that part of my childhood is better left to be enjoyed in my memories. I wonder how many people pass down Highway 171 and have wonderful memories of Hodges Gardens. I’m thankful that Mr. Hodges started and maintained those beautiful gardens that will always be blooming and beautiful in my memories.