New Orleans Botanical Garden - Programs and Activities

Programs and Activities

The 12-acre (49,000 m2) New Orleans Botanical Garden, located in City Park, serves as the horticulture activity center for both Louisiana and the surrounding Gulf South, offering a wide variety of programs for kids and adults. The actual garden walk can take anywhere from 20 minutes to a couple of hours. Maps are provided at the entrance to lead you through the 12 acres (49,000 m2) that make up the Botanical Garden. This relaxing, educational walk includes visits to the Lord and Taylor Rose Garden, The Tropical Garden, The Herb Garden, and the Yakumo Nihon Teien Japanese Garden, just to name a few.

Another popular display is the Train Garden, a 1/22nd size scale of the city of New Orleans as it would have appeared in the early 19th century. The miniature size trains run on the 1,300 feet (400 m) long track, and the buildings are made completely out of plant material. Many of the workers were skeptical when the Train Garden first opened a few years ago, since this is the first ever Train Garden in New Orleans. However, it has become one of the most popular sites in all of City Park and is host of a train-car decorating contest during the annual Celebration of the Oaks. The Train Garden has not yet reopened to its regular schedule since Gustav and Ike but it is said to be open by the Fall Garden Show (October 18 and 19, 2008).

Walking through each garden, you can find “Dial and Discover” signs. By dialing the posted number form your cell phone, you can listen to a brief information speech about the flowers, plants and history of the specific garden you are in. However, if you prefer a more thorough guide, you may opt for one of the private group tours, which are available by reservation only. These detailed tours are reserved for groups of 20 or more and include lunch and your own personal tour guide.

The Botanical Garden is also very involved with the primary education of the city. In the past year, they have worked closely with Lusher Charter School, providing information and programs for the students inside and out of the classroom. The Garden has donated different types of plants for the children to keep in their classrooms and use as study aids. In addition, The Botanical Garden hosts field trips that usually include a walk through the garden, a special stop in the Train Garden, and some sort of hands on activity.

The Botanical Garden offers a Spring and a Fall Garden Lecture Series. Classes and lectures include topics such as plants, garden design, garden crafts, bird watching, etc. Dan Gill, a LSU AgCenter Specialist, been a popular authority on area gardening for years, holds the most popular lectures. According to volunteers, people come from all over to hear him speak.

Every April and October, the Botanical Garden is home to the Spring and Fall Garden Shows offering plant sales, programs for kids, plant health clinics, educational programs, and booths by various plant societies. Different vendors and companies set up within the garden, selling the latest garden tools and products. The Garden Shows have been very popular in the past and is a day full of fun activities for the entire family. Each Fall, the show includes a Scarecrow Trail, where anyone can enter to win Funniest, Scariest, Most Original or Best Traditional scarecrow. The Spring Garden Show also now includes a Green Fair which showcases environmentally friendly arts and crafts and building or garden products and services.

Additional plant sales include a Rose Sale held the near Valentine's Day where antique or old garden roses, and Summer Sales featuring Butterfly plants and tropicals. All plants sold are propagated by the garden and its volunteers from the Garden's plant collections.

Wedding receptions and other special events are also commonly held in the Pavilion of the Two Sisters, a huge banquet hall overlooking the beautiful Zemurray Azalea and Camellia Garden, or other facilities in the Garden.