New Orleans Botanical Garden facts for kids
The New Orleans Botanical Garden is a beautiful garden located in City Park in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the first classical garden in New Orleans. The garden was built with money and workers from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a government program that helped people find jobs during the Great Depression.
Contents
A Look Back: The Garden's Journey
How It Started: The 1930s
The New Orleans Botanical Garden, first known as The Rose Garden, opened in 1936. This was part of a huge project to rebuild and improve City Park during the 1930s. The plans for the new City Park were chosen in 1930. But the big help came from the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This program gave $12 million and jobs to almost 20,000 people in New Orleans City Park.
Three creative people led the design and building: Architect Richard Koch, Landscape Architect William Wierdorn, and Sculptor Enrique Alférez. They designed the gardens in the popular "Art Deco" style of the 1930s. They created the clear and detailed grounds that became New Orleans' first public classical garden. The garden combined nature, old buildings, and unique art. It was meant to be a place where families could enjoy City Park.
Tough Times: Mid-20th Century
After the 1930s' tough economic times ended and World War II began, the WPA program stopped. Federal money for the garden dried up. From the 1940s to the early 1980s, the garden became less cared for. It wasn't kept up well, and fewer people visited. The garden lost its special charm.
A New Beginning: The 1980s
In the 1980s, a group called "Friends of City Park" was formed. They wanted to improve and rebuild the historic Rose Garden. Paul Soniat became the garden's first Director in 1982. The garden was then renamed The New Orleans Botanical Garden. A fence was put up, and the original sculptures by Enrique Alferez were cleaned. The garden's restoration began.
The garden followed a plan by Landscape Architect Neil Odenwald. This plan helped make the garden stable and added new rose beds, trees, and shrubs. Many areas were replanted with new flowers. In 1987, a new plan was made by Jon Emerson and associates and Architect Peter Trapolin. This plan made the garden bigger and improved how people moved around. Peter Trapolin designed a new entrance and main building. This new building, called the Pavilion of the Two Sisters, opened in 1995.
Mexican artist Enrique Alférez came back to the garden after almost 50 years. He restored old sculptures and created new ones, like The Sundial and the Grass Gates. With these changes and new sections, the garden was ready for more growth. In 1987, a new holiday event called Celebration in the Oaks started. It brought a lot of money to the Botanical Garden and City Park. This event was a big success, attracting over 100,000 visitors in its first year.
Growing Stronger: The 1990s
The 1990s saw a lot of growth for the Botanical Garden. Many projects were started thanks to people who donated money and helped the park. The Garden Study Center was updated in 1992. The Pavilion of the Two Sisters opened in 1995, and the Lath House was built in 1998. The garden also grew to include almost three more acres to the east.
In 1997, this new section became the Zemurray Azalea and Camellia Garden. It has a circular path with many different flowers, especially azaleas and camellias. There's also a "footprint walk" with plaques showing the names and footprints of some people who donated to the garden. In the middle of this garden, under a large Live Oak tree, Enrique Alferez created "The Flute Player." This 12-foot bronze sculpture shows a strong, graceful woman playing a flute.
New Millennium: 2000-2005
Many improvements and additions came to the Botanical Garden in the early 2000s. The Historic Miniature Train Garden, designed by Paul Busse, opened in 2002. The first part of the Japanese Garden opened in 2002. It was funded by The Japanese Garden Society and designed by Landscape Architect Robin Tanner. The Conservatory of the Two Sisters was renovated and expanded, and the Stove House and dungeons were restored by 2003. The Azby Fund paid for the Conservatory and Stove House restoration.
In 2003, PLANO (Professional Landmen's Society Of New Orleans) helped create the vegetable and fruit garden on the western side of the Botanical Garden. During this time, an Enrique Alferez sculpture called "Rain Goddess" was moved to the corner of Roosevelt Mall and Victory Ave. Also, a popular music series called "Thursdays at Twilight" began in 2003.
Hurricane Katrina: 2005
When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, it caused almost total destruction to the garden's plants. Luckily, a donation from the Azby Fund allowed the garden to keep its staff. It also helped renovate its buildings and gardens. The garden quickly recovered and reopened for Celebration in the Oaks in early December, about 14 weeks after the storm. About 90% of the plants were removed and replanted. All the electrical systems were replaced, and the buildings were repaired. The garden staff received help from plant and money donations, as well as volunteers from all over the world. The Botanical Garden and City Park have been praised for how well they recovered from Katrina.
After the Storm: 2005-2020
Soon after Katrina, the Robert B Haspel Garden Stage was built. It helps attract people to the garden and provides an outdoor place for New Orleans' musical talent. The Duplantier Pavilion, a modern lath structure designed by Michael McKay, was built. It's used for small demonstrations and as a meeting place for volunteers. The Japanese Garden also doubled in size in 2008.
A big project started a few years after Katrina to move the Botanical Garden entrance. It moved from the Pavilion of the Two Sisters to an old Park building called the Little Casino. A new building plan was created by Waggonner and Ball. Landscape architects Carbo and Associates and Robin Tanner designed the new garden entry. The new entrance building, the Oscar J. Tolmas Center, opened in November 2015. It is now the main entrance to the Botanical Garden and Storyland.
Also in the Fall of 2015, the Helis Foundation Enrique Alferez Sculpture Garden opened. It features 15 original sculptures by Mexican artist Enrique Alferez. Landscape Architect Robin Tanner designed this garden. It's a wonderful mix of landscape and sculpture. In October 2017, a modern entrance garden opened to the public. It was designed by Carbo and Associates and has a living green wall and a jumping water fountain. In October 2019, the "Kitchen in the Garden" opened. This is an outdoor kitchen for cooking demonstrations, located in the middle of the PLANO vegetable garden.
Landscape Architect Robin Tanner has designed three modern garden spaces in the old WPA cold frame area. The first garden, "The Chapel of the Rain," has a large concrete fountain and benches. The second, "Garden of the Sun," will have a large bronze sundial and will be finished by summer 2020. The "Garden of the Wind" will follow soon after.
Exploring the Garden: Design and Layout
The Botanical Gardens today are made up of several smaller gardens. Each "garden room" or section shows unique types of plants. Paths and structures help to define and separate these areas. Grassy paths lead through some sections, lined with hedges, guiding visitors. In more formal areas, you'll find brick pathways, often with objects built to thank people who donated.
Zemurray Azalea and Camellia Garden
When you enter the Botanical Gardens from the south side of the Pavilion of the Two Sisters, if you take the paths to the right (east), you'll enter the Zemurray Azalea and Camellia Garden. This section has azaleas, camellias, and magnolias. It offers a sweet-smelling walk through some of the South's most famous flowering plants.
On the western edge of this section is the Pavilion of the Two Sisters. This newer building looks like a European greenhouse. It was built to protect orange trees and honors the Wordsworth sisters. This space is used for many things, from educational talks to wedding parties. The Pavilion also separates the Zemurray Garden from the Original Garden.
The Original Garden
To the west of the Pavilion of the Two Sisters is the Original Garden. It's called this because it was the first part of the formal Rose Garden. This section has four distinct garden rooms, a reflecting pool, and a conservatory. On the north side of the Original Garden is the Parterre Rose Garden, also known as the Lord and Taylor Rose Garden. It has rows of neatly trimmed hedges outlining rose beds. Two large archways guard the entrance to the Parterre.
In the center of the Original Garden is a circular area where paths meet. The four garden rooms (North, South, East, and West) surround it. Each room has unique gardens, from tropical plants to ornamental grasses and woody shrubs. Perhaps the most famous feature in these gardens is the 130-year-old Alferez Oak tree. It's named after the sculptor who created many pieces in the garden.
The Original Garden also includes the Garden Study Center, the Lath House, a Butterfly Walk and Hummingbird Garden, and an aquatic planting area. The aquatic area has lilies, fish, and other water plants and animals. It's on the eastern edge of the Original Garden, near the entrance to the Conservatory of the Two Sisters.
Conservatory of the Two Sisters
The Conservatory has been recently updated. It currently features an exhibit on "Living Fossils." This exhibit shows many types of ancient plant life, fossilized leaves, mosses, and ferns. The Conservatory is famous for its amazing glass dome. It also has a tropical rainforest with a climate control system. There's even a waterfall and cave system that houses some animals from tropical areas. The Botanical Garden is working to get money to make the Conservatory even bigger. They want to add more exhibits, like a desert area, a mountain area, and a section for the garden's orchids.
Exotic Foliage
South of the Conservatory, in the Exotic Foliage area, is the Palm Court. The Palm Court has the largest collection of palm trees in Louisiana. Also, ferns, bamboo, and other groundcover plants from exotic and tropical places live in this section during different seasons.
Demonstration Gardens
The westernmost part of the garden, just outside the Conservatory, is an exciting and varied area. Visitors first see "cold frames." These are raised gardens with brick edges, originally used to grow plants for transplanting. These structures are original WPA buildings and offer a glimpse into the past. Further west are the vegetable and herb gardens. There's also a demonstration garden that shows seasonal vegetables, fruits, and other edible crops.
A fragrant herb garden is just northeast of the vegetable garden. This section is for herbs and flowers known for their strong smells. It offers a diverse scent experience as visitors walk through the medicinal herbs section and a plot for cooking herbs. A "friendship garden," cared for by volunteers, has a variety of seasonal plants. Two small greenhouses here house a collection of cacti and succulent plants.
Finally, the Train Garden features miniature buildings made from plant materials. They are laid out like the city of New Orleans. Visitors walk a path that follows the Mississippi River and other waterways around the city. About 1,300 feet (400 m) of track carry miniature streetcars and trains. These trains actually run on weekends and for special events. Stops along the way tell the history of different buildings and neighborhoods.
Art in the Garden
Much of the art in the City Park Botanical Garden was created by Mexican artist and sculptor Enrique Alferez (1901–1999). Ten of the twelve sculptures in the Botanical Gardens were originally made by Alferez. The oldest of these pieces were created in 1932. He continued to make art for the City Park Botanical Gardens throughout his life, with his latest addition in 1998.
He has a wide range of art throughout the garden. These include a large, lifelike reclining statue and a simple, working sundial in the center of the park. Most of his pieces in the garden are made of cast concrete, carved limestone, or bronze. These were popular Art Deco styles of sculpting. Even the pieces he made long after the Art Deco era were in this style. Alferez also has many sculptures throughout New Orleans, including a famous one at the Lakeside Airport.
The other two pieces in the garden were created by Rose Marie Huth in 1942 and Jean Seidenberg in 1962. The more important of these two is the sculpture by Rose Marie Huth. It's near the center of the gardens, at the end of the water lily pond. It's a remarkable sculpture of a woman riding on top of a large fish, looking like she's gliding across the water. This is one of the main attractions of the Botanical Gardens.
Flowers of the Botanical Gardens
As you walk through the entrance to the botanical gardens, the Pavilion of the Two Sisters is the first thing you see. Along the sides of the well-kept grassy path are rows of lush green plants with small, delicate flowers. These tiny flowers are just the beginning of over 2,000 different plants from all over the world that cover the 12-acre (49,000 m2) garden.
Lord & Taylor Rose Garden
In the middle-northern part of the Botanical Gardens is the Lord & Taylor Rose Garden, also called the Parterre. The first path leads to a rectangular area with separate sections for different roses, both old and new. The rosarian, Abedalhadi Mousa, takes care of the roses daily. He clips off dead or wilting roses, removing the whites, pinks, and reds that dot the green landscape. Many volunteers and workers, wearing straw gardening hats, help care for the plants and guide visitors.
As you walk through the rose bushes, you can see the Early Hybrid Tea rose, the old Tea rose, and the 'Blush Noisette' rose from 1817, among others. Each group of roses has a small black tag at the bottom with white writing listing its name and origin date. The central rectangular beds have many Iceberg Floribunda bushes, which have pure white flowers. The beds on each side around two circular fountains are overflowing with Caldwell Pink bushes. Both Iceberg and Caldwell Pinks are modern roses that are sensitive to heat and need to be replaced every three years. The Rose Garden is just the first taste of the plants you can see, and it leads to the Butterfly Walk.
Butterfly Walk
The air becomes fragrant as you get close to the Butterfly Walk. This small garden has many flowering plants that provide nectar for butterflies and food for caterpillars. Monarchs, giant swallowtails, and gulf fritillaries flutter through the air, feeding on cone flowers, lantana, and coreopsis. It's a small, cozy space with flowering plants that climb up the sides of the path. This makes butterflies fly around anyone who walks through. The garden has a bench shaped like a giant butterfly, where you can sit and enjoy the view. The flowering plants are mixed with the caterpillars' food sources. There are milkweed plants for monarchs, passion flower vines for gulf fritillaries, and dill and parsley for black swallowtails. A quick walk will take you out of the Butterfly Walk, away from this peaceful spot, and onto a more open path towards areas with tropical plants and herb gardens.
Fun Things to Do: Programs and Activities
The 12-acre (49,000 m2) New Orleans Botanical Garden in City Park is a hub for plant-related activities in Louisiana and the surrounding Gulf South. It offers many programs for both kids and adults.
A walk through the garden can take anywhere from 20 minutes to a few hours. Maps are given at the entrance to guide you through the 12 acres (49,000 m2) of the Botanical Garden. This relaxing and educational walk includes visits to the Lord and Taylor Rose Garden, The Tropical Garden, The Herb Garden, and the Yakumo Nihon Teien Japanese Garden, among others.
Another popular display is the Train Garden. It's a 1/22nd scale model of New Orleans as it looked in the early 19th century. The miniature trains run on the 1,300-foot (400 m) long track. The buildings are made entirely out of plant material. When the Train Garden first opened, some workers were unsure about it. This was the first Train Garden ever in New Orleans. However, it has become one of the most popular spots in all of City Park. It even hosts a train-car decorating contest during the yearly Celebration in the Oaks. The Train Garden is open only on weekends.
As you walk through each garden, you can find "Dial and Discover" signs. By calling the number on the sign from your cell phone, you can listen to a short message. This message gives information about the flowers, plants, and history of the specific garden you are in. If you prefer a more detailed guide, you can book one of the private group tours. These tours are by reservation only. They are for groups of 20 or more and include lunch and your own personal tour guide.
The Botanical Garden also works closely with local schools. In the past year, they have partnered with Lusher Charter School. They provide information and programs for students both in and out of the classroom. The Garden has given different types of plants for children to keep in their classrooms as study aids. Also, the Botanical Garden hosts field trips. These usually include a walk through the garden, a special stop in the Train Garden, and a hands-on activity.
The Botanical Garden offers Spring and Fall Garden Lecture Series. Classes and talks cover topics like plants, garden design, garden crafts, and bird watching. Dan Gill, an LSU AgCenter Specialist, is a popular expert on gardening in the area. He gives the most popular lectures. Volunteers say people come from all over to hear him speak.
Every April and October, the Botanical Garden hosts the Spring and Fall Garden Shows. These shows offer plant sales, programs for kids, plant health clinics, educational programs, and booths by various plant societies. Different sellers and companies set up in the garden, selling the latest garden tools and products. The Garden Shows have been very popular and are full of fun activities for the whole family. Each Fall, the show includes a Scarecrow Trail. Anyone can enter to win prizes for the Funniest, Scariest, Most Original, or Best Traditional scarecrow. The Spring Garden Show now also includes a Green Fair. This fair showcases environmentally friendly arts and crafts, and building or garden products and services.
Other plant sales include a Rose Sale held near Valentine's Day. It features antique or old garden roses. Summer Sales feature Butterfly plants and tropicals. All plants sold are grown by the garden and its volunteers from the garden's own plant collections.
Wedding receptions and other special events are often held in the Pavilion of the Two Sisters. This is a large banquet hall overlooking the Zemurray Azalea and Camellia Garden. Other facilities in the Garden are also used for events.
After Katrina: Changes and Recovery
Hurricane Katrina caused a huge loss of plant life and damage to buildings. This severely affected the Garden's ability to operate normally. Almost all the buildings and sculptures were saved. However, the storm's floodwaters, up to 3 feet deep, stayed for about two weeks. This killed almost 90% of the plants in the gardens. Such a big loss of plants led to a large increase in volunteers and donations working to rebuild the grounds.
After Katrina, people from all over decided to help the New Orleans Botanical Gardens. They tried to raise money in any way they could. One garden enthusiast from Alaska set up a donation center for the New Orleans Botanical Gardens in his home. He alone raised thousands of dollars. Thanks to the combined efforts of many, there have been few extra costs for visitors since Katrina. Only the admission price went up by one dollar. The same Garden Shows, concerts, and celebrations are still held here. Almost all the same classes are still offered.
After a brief reopening for Celebration in the Oaks, The Botanical Garden fully reopened on March 4, 2006. This was almost half a year after Katrina. Upon reopening, new classes were offered to teach New Orleanians how to successfully replant their gardens. They also learned how to keep their plants alive, even with all the damage from the salty floodwater. Also, the Botanical Garden held ongoing plant sales for the first time. They offered everything from flowers to shrubs to trees.
