Re-Invigorate Asian Gardens

Read about Asian Gardens below or watch this 3 minute video for more information -

What’s Happening In Asian Gardens

WHY DOES ASIAN GARDENS NEED HELP: Twenty years ago a small group of citizens, most of Asian descent, formed the ASEANA FOUNDATION to create an Asian Gardens in a small city park located in downtown Shreveport. The members gave deeply - their time, talent and treasures - to create a unique, beautiful, and vibrant public space that celebrated the cultures of their homelands through 15 garden beds and lively Asian festivals. Sadly, the ASEANA Foundation nonprofit dissolved due mostly to aging membership. SPAR continues to tend to the gardens with regular clean up and quarterly landscaping, but many of the features in the gardens have aged due to harsh weather, tree disease, wood rot, irrigation and lighting woes and vagrants who damaged art and statues.

WHAT’S BEING REPAIRED: Shreveport Common, through a Neighborhood Improvement Project (NIP) grant and SPAR are coming together to repair the infrastructure in the park: Irrigation, lighting, removing/replacing dead trees, painting/replacing rotted wood, adding cameras, replacing banners and creating signage to help promote self guided tours. In addition, this first year, Shreveport Common and the Shreveport Common Think Tank of volunteers will work on fun and surprising events and programming in hopes renewing interest in the gardens while exploring ways to more easily program the gardens for years to come.

WHAT’S NEEDED: To maintain and sustain a beautiful, vibrant Asian Gardens, we need YOU! We are looking for volunteer groups and leadership to bring passion, cultural knowledge and landscaping skills to reinvigorate the gardens and create regular cultural and educational experiences. Do you know an organization that might be interested in carrying on the work started by the ASEANA Foundation working with the City to maintain the gardens? Perhaps you know a group of volunteers who would like to adopt one of the beds dedicated to one of the 15 Asian Cultures represented. Whether you are an individual or a team, the gardens need your help.

WHAT CAN YOU DO: Fill out the survey (scroll down) so that we can get your ideas and know how you might help. Or, forward this to those who might be interested. Then, watch our new “I (heart) Asian Gardens Shreveport” facebook group page or check our website for updates and a calendar of events.

WE’LL TRY TO KEEP YOU UP TO DATE WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING, BELOW

THEN Scroll down to the SIGN UP FORM

HAPPENING TIMELINE

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS -

• Planning a “layered event” - food, music, dance for each: Kung Fu Movie Night (Summer) and Martial Arts Day (Fall) - Shreveport Common Think Tank Committee

RECENT COMMUNITY EVENTS -

• 4/22 - Clean Up Asian Gardens for Earth Date and Love The Boot 11-2 and 5:30 - 7

• 4/25 - World Tai Chi Day in Asian Gardens

• 5/2 - Walk Through Asian Gardens on your way to Taco Wars - Look for “I (heart) Asian Gardens” signs with QR codes

GARDEN IMPROVEMENTS STARTING SOON -

• Confirm Garden Beds so that Banners can be reprinted - Asian Gardens Curating Committee

• Soil Testing - LA Ag

• Policies for Gardens and Events - Asian Gardens Curating Committee

• All Red Posts to be painted/powder coated (SPAR)

WORKING ON -

• Searching for organizations which might provide gardens oversight and or educational opportunities

• Working on Additional Shade and Special Lighting - Shreveport Common Think Tank Committee

• Real Time Crime Camera placement (set with SPD) and full funding of Camera (with NIP$, DDA - meeting 5/14) and Donors)

• Setting a Meeting Date with Asian Gardens Curating Committee

• Bridge is being repaired/prepped for repainting

• Street lighting repair has begun (SWEPCO)

• Community Organizations Presentations (started 3/12/26 - let us know if your organization would like a presentation)

• Meetings with SPAR and DDA (TBA)

WHAT’S COMPLETED -

• 4/28 - purchased 30 Red Asian Umbrellas to provide shade during events - Shreveport Common

• 4/4 - Created and email list of those who are interested, and sent to 200 who gave permission for email messages.Videos and ads made for facebook, instagram and ShreveportCommon.com website

• 4/22 - 200 Handout cards made with photos, links and QR code for distribution. Contracts signed to repair irrigation and lighting - (SPAR)Reviewed comments from meeting, surveys and emails (week of 3/9/26)

• 3/29 - Post Community Meeting Marketing - Website, Social Media, Launch Group Page

• 3/8 - Community Meeting: Honor founding ASEANA members, Current Conditions and Listening Sessions (Emmett Hook Theatre, 3/8/26 1 - 3pm)

• 2/8 - Dead Tree Removal - SPAR

• 1/5 - Partnership meeting with SPAR

• 1/5 - Talk with SWEPCO, get commitment to fix street lights

• 11/12/25 - 1/26 Park Conditions Assessment and Tree Assessment with Arborist

• 12/2/25 - Over 300 flyers, 200 cards and 100 Posters designed, printed, posted

• NIP Grant Applied (11/12/25); Received (12/1/26)

TELL US WHAT YOU WANT & HOW YOU CAN HELP

Asian Gardens is 20 years old and needs help. We, Shreveport Common, Inc nonprofit with the Shreveport Common Think Tank Volunteers, a City of Shreveport Neighborhood Improvement Grant and SPAR are coming together to help with repairs and improvements, but we need you, the community to help. Tell us what you want to see AND tell us how you can help with the gardens, programming and educational opportunities. This first year, we will be working on fun programming, getting the gardens in shape and finding leadership to help manage the TLC of this city park for the long term.