93 years young & still gardening

BY: HEATHER
BOGARD
Lifestyles Editor

Joe Guillotte’s love of gardening was first fostered as a young child helping his father and grandfather in their gardens. Now at the young at heart age of almost 93, he keeps active and healthy by tending his flower and vegetable gardens and citrus orchard on his property.
Named for his grandfather, Seraphin Joseph Guillotte, Joe recalls taking an early interest in gardening and learned a lot from his dad and grandfather by helping them out around their farms and gardens.
He recalls that his grandfather was a truck farmer who raised many vegetables. His father, Louis Guillotte, operated a 360-acre sugarcane farm and also planted many other crops, such as corn and potatoes. Guillotte’s father was raised in Loreauville and his mother, Ella, was a native of Germany who moved to Louisiana as a young child. He grew up with five brothers and one sister in Franklin.
Guillotte studied petroleum engineering, as well as horticulture at SLI (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette). He worked as an engineer for Amoco for many years while at the same time cultivating his passion for gardening. He moved to Ville Platte in 1947, where he met his wife, the late Etheline Fontenot Guillotte. They raised their two daughters here. They also had a son who died in an accident at the age of eight.
Even though he is no longer able to do as much work in his gardens, Guillotte still does what he can for himself and his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren all pitch in to help around the property. In fact, he says that one of his granddaughter’s husbands goes to the property and plows for him once a year.
In Guillotte’s expansive yard are many varieties of flowers, including roses, calla lilies, azaleas and petunias. He also has a green house, large citrus orchard and 27 pecan trees. In addition, his vegetable garden includes tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and other fresh produce. “I grow a little bit of everything,” he declares.
As he approaches his 93rd birthday in October, Guillotte admits that he loves to share his passion and knowledge of gardening and horticulture with his family and others. He also says he may start slowing down a bit. However, he happily says that “My hobby helps keep me active and vital and is good exercise.”