french quarter container gardens

Without a doubt, New Orleans has the gardening thing down pat. I am actually convinced that the fine folks down South just scatter magical seeds out on Mardi Gras Eve, water them with gumbo, say some Cajun blessings, and enjoy lush gardens the rest of the season.

The city boasts that historic Garden District, of course, and expansive horticultural palettes grace lawns and causeways everywhere you look. But specifically, the people there have mastered the art of container gardening. And more specifically, I’m talking about the people and the container gardens of my beloved French Quarter. What a great thing, too, because aside from ancient arching trees and a rare municipal lawn here and there, the Quarter is well armored with jagged brick sidewalks and narrow asphalt streets. If a resident or shop owner craves the softening allure of plants, then that person had better get inspired to grow in containers.

First, some eye candy and inspiration…

Love this! An actual ficus tree growing in a nest of lush, cloudy asparagus fern.
We fake this so hard in Oklahoma.
What we should be doing is reinterpreting the look with native plants.

I like the height of this tree and its giant leaves with just some easy stuff beneath.
Very Zen, right? So simple and perfect for a clean lined patio seating area.

This hotel is on a street corner, and every single window and doorway
on both wrap-around sides is planted in coordinating boxes.
I am smitten! The uniformity is just so charming.
And let’s pay attention to the conical shape of those topiaries and how formal they feel,
mixed with those casual orange blooms and how welcoming they are.
Kind of a genius combo for a fancy hotel, if you ask me.

Cascading English ivy with a profusion of silly, ruffly color.
Annuals, technically, but I have walked through this neighborhood
in every single season of the year
and this store always has color in their window boxes. Always.
Time to step up our container game, ladies and gents.

Oh the photo above is just an example of how that same fancy hotel
translates their formal-casual design to smaller boxes.
No topiary but still uniform. Still charming.

If you look closely, you can see that this gorgeous glazed urn
is maybe planted with one large plant
which is then surrounded by a few smaller potted plants.
Still in their plastic pots! It’s in the Big Easy, remember?
I just like this because it shows how you can sometimes
get away with cramming a vessel with fast color to make an big impact.
Beware in Oklahoma of leaving this outdoors too long, though!

A single, healthy potted tree strung with lights. Kind of my jam, friends. Do this.

You just cannot discuss French Quarter container gardens without acknowledging
the famous iron trellises and hanging baskets.
The lacework we all love so much.

This might be hard to see, but that lower edge there is a bricked in container garden,
long and narrow against the wall.
It is jam-packed with plants! And I love it.
It’s situated adjacent to a small boutique hotel
with a perfect brick drive and iron gate at the entrance.
One day I asked permission from a concierge (dressed in tails and white gloves)
to walk down the private drive to see this garden better and take photos.
Of course he said Yes, dahlin in a syrupy southern accent and bowed as I walked past.
I was transfixed. And those white vining flowers smelled like heaven.

This is the wall opposite that first wall, in the same private drive.
I mean!! So much green, right?
It is stunning in person. It reaches almost two stories high.
So simple and yet such a powerful impact.
And I love that the gardener didn’t get lazy at the end,
that he or she used every scrap of earth to grow stuff, more color in this instance.
Well done, sir or madam. Well done.

Just some whimsical metal art filled up with plain houseplants, but it is so FUN!

The Quarter is connected with a vast network of alleyways like this.
Secret ones, mostly, that you really have to be watching for to enjoy.
And they all lead to places even more beautiful behind the long, narrow buildings,
often tiny concrete pool courtyards. Magical!
Can you imagine this hard-scaped view without the plants?
It would be far less interesting, I think.
The plants here an there just soften all the edges.
They invite you in and help you breathe slowly.
They tell you how comfortable you’ll be
if you come sit and order some coffee and beignets.
Tip some street performers and soak up some live music.
Watch the locals. Inhale the spices.

Ok! Now, a few notes…

Why bother with container gardening? Well, reasons abound, but to my mind, the first is that it could be a problem solver. Maybe your growing footprint is by necessity small or concrete-bound, like in the Quarter. Or perhaps you have a vertical plane in need of camouflage. Also, container gardens are often portable, allowing for relocation seasonally or in inclement weather, and this also makes them great for flexible use if you entertain outdoors. I love moving my potted beauties around for parties! Maybe the most fun reason of all, container gardens are excellent little opportunities to add style and a sense of accessory to your space. They invite a certain freedom that maybe ground planting doesn’t. Strands of white fairy lights, anyone? Painted signs, ornaments, you name it. For some reason, container gardens are natural stages for artistic expression. So many good reasons.

Considering Environment: Where in this beautiful world are you gardening? The Lazy W is in a southern part of Zone 7, but our nine acres seem to offer a little bit of everything, micro-climate wise. Breezeless dry shade, swamp, sand, loam, clay, gusty desert-hot full sun, prairie, woodland, and good ol’ residential patio too. So gardening here can be as challenging as it is fun. Compared to New Orleans, it’s extremely complicated. Anyway, yes, NOLA may have a few environmental advantages over us (kinder, filtered light, high humidity, all that live jazz which apparently is very good for plants), but we can do plenty to imitate or interpret their success:

• Line your containers. Coconut fiber is classic and popular, and this year I am also trying Rootmaker brand liners. Word is, they cut your watering chores down by at least half. I’ll keep you posted!
• Use good quality potting soil, not garden soil. The tilth is crucial and having some time-released fertilizer invited to the party isn’t a terrible idea. It’s a small investment up front that you will be so glad you made the rest of the season. Also pay attention to your plants’ space and drainage needs. One weird mistake I sometimes make is cramming little plants together without having faith that they’ll ever grow. So of course they don’t! They die of suffocation I guess. Have faith! Give them some room.
• Consider location. Lots of Oklahoma sidewalks and patios will get way too hot in the afternoon to bear up lush looking plants. Think about relocating or providing some shade from both the heat and the inevitable straight-line winds.
• Establish a smart maintenance strategy, including watering for sure but also feeding and pruning. Not once in a while, either; every single day. Something I notice about early mornings in the Quarter is that while shopkeepers and residents are out sweeping their steps and opening their doors for the day, they are also watering and grooming their potted things. It’s a simple daily ritual that I think goes a long way toward a beautiful environment. Oh, this reminds of that wonderful old adage, The best fertilizer is the gardener’s shadow. Love that. This year I plan to design my morning ritual of tidying up the house and feeding the animals to also include tending the container gardens. Again, every day not once in a while. This is something we can do without wearing our sweaty garden clothes and muddy shoes! A lovely domestic thing that will only expand our living spaces.

Okay, that was fun! I have about a thousand more photos of New Orleans gardens, container and otherwise, but I better close up for now and go tend my own. Tell me something you love about container gardens. Post a photo of your own on this blog’s Facebook page! That would be cool to see creative spots from all over. If you have any questions or gardenish things you’d like to discuss I would be all over that too!

These are a few containers I planted at the farm yesterday,
just as the rain started falling.
This morning, of course, we woke up to a monsoon
and a lake instead of a pond, and we are so grateful!
More color coming for sure.

Remember, your garden is both your masterpiece and your playground.
Work hard but have fun with it.
XOXOXOXO