Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré

Ambassador Lindy Boggs greets guests in her Vieux Carré courtyard.

The 2009 Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré is scheduled for [Saturday, October 10, and Sunday, October 11, 2009 from noon until 4pm.

The gardens of the Beauregard - Keyes House at 1113 Charters St. will be available for viewing both days; guests will be served complimentary refreshments and snacks at this location. There will be at 4 or 5 different gardens each day for viewing; tickets will be $15 per day. Tickets available at Creole Delicacies, 533 St. Ann St. at Jackson Square and at New Orleans Gem & Lapidary, 527 St. Philip St. near Decatur. Tickets will also be available by phone at: 504-524-9595 or 1-800-356-6252.

The following description is excerpted from [www.asla.org:

[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 will host 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.