Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré
Ambassador Lindy Boggs greets guests in her Vieux Carré courtyard.
The Patio Planters of the Vieux Carré opens magnificent courtyards of the French Quarter for a special weekend tour. This highly anticipated event offers the allure of private and historic gardens otherwise closed to the public. The walking tour reveals how garden designers take advantage of small spaces, and provides access to the cool and private hideaways suited to the Louisiana climate in styles of the early Spanish and French architecture.
The 2010 Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré is scheduled for Saturday, October 16, and Sunday, October 17, 2010, and the courtyards will be open for the self-guided walking tour between 12:00 noon and 4:00 p.m. each day. Tickets are $20 each (children under 12 free), and will be available for purchase prior to the tour at Creole Delicacies, 533 St. Ann Street (at Jackson Square).
[The Secret Gardens] tour is very special because it includes access to gardens that few of the public, including locals, ever get to see. An aerial view of the French Quarter reveals the never-seen cavities and alleyways that make the Vieux Carre so unique. The tour will reveal the many lush, semi-tropical courtyards found in these cavities and show how masterfully garden designers take advantage of small spaces. The miniaturized courtyards were cool and private hideaways that suited the Louisiana climate and the styles of the early Spanish, French, and later Creole architecture.
The Patio Planters du Vieux Carre, the venerable French Quarter garden society which hosts these private courtyard tours, was established to preserve the qualities of these “secret gardens” and is very protective of their condition. Access is limited, and only small numbers may visit at any one time in order to prevent damage through human impact.{excerpted from www.asla.org}