2. Name of Garden Neighborhood Host Organization Contact Name
ASI Rooftop Garden Bywater ASI Federal Credit Katie Triplett
Union
Garden Description: This will be the first rooftop garden in the up-and-coming St. Claude business
district. This old two-story is being renovated, with plans to house an ASI credit union branch in the
bottom floor and nonprofit offices on the second floor. The Rooftop will be converted into a green
space with several garden beds. Katie Triplett is working with a landscape architect on the final design.
The ultimate plan is to get students from Douglass High School to tend the garden and sell the resulting
produce at the Ninth Ward Farmers Market.
ASI building (left) pre-renovation. Next Future site of rooftop garden overlooking
door is a cardiologist's office and two St. Claude Ave
doors down in St. Margaret's nursing home
Another view, overlooking the St.
Margaret's courtyard
3. Name of Garden Neighborhood Host Organization Contact Name
Common Ground Algiers Common Ground Lanette Williams
Health Clinic
Garden Description: This garden is managed by the Common Ground Health Clinic, a neighborhood
clinic in Algiers which originated as a disaster relief clinic after Hurricane Katrina and has since
transitioned to a neighborhood health center. The garden is an attempt to bring the ideas of
healthfulness and sustainability beyond the clinic walls and into the community. Besides growing
healthy herbs and vegetables, the clinic herbalist has plans to develop a healing herb garden here.
Wishlist:
1. Raise existing beds to 24”
2. Fix compost area and barbecue pit
3. Build a composting toilet
Lanette Williams, garden coordinator Existing shade structure and rainwater
colllection cistern
Garden beds, before being raised Old compost bins in need of repair
4. Name of Garden Neighborhood Host Organization Contact Name
Lafitte Corridor Mid City Friends of Lafitte Amy Lafont
Corridor (FOLC)
Garden description: The Lafitte Corridor is a proposed greenway that will stretch from the French
Quarter all the way to Lake Ponchartrain. The corridor follows an old train track, and is being funded
as a “Rails to Trails” project. It will contain a bike path as well as several landscaped areas,
playgrounds. The proposed garden site is at the intersection of the proposed Greenway and Jefferson
Davis Blvd. This is a critical hub of the future corridor, where it will intersect with the Jefferson Davis
bike path. This triangular shaped plot, now owned by the city, was originally owned by the Baroness
Pontalba, often cited as the first apartment developer in the New World. The plan is to develop this
plot into a community garden and a zeroscaped area through which the future bike path will travel.
Baroness Pontalba. Original
landowner of proposed site
Future site of community garden and bike
path
Old train track visible crossing Jefferson
Davis Pkwy.
Lafitte Corridor master plan
5. Name of Garden Neighborhood Host Organization Contact Name
Saturn Printing Central City Groundwork New Pam Broom
Orleans Zach Silverman
Lee Stafford
Garden description: An empty lot behind the building that contains the old Saturn Printing building,
which is in the process of being converted into the Zeitgeist Cultural Arts Center/fair trade coffee shop.
It is on the Oretha Castle Haley boulevard, a street that has fallen on hard times, but that in the early
20th century was home to hundreds of restaurants, shops, and theaters, along with working class
Germans, Jews, and African Americans. O.C-Haley has recently been a focus of positive re-
development in the heart of New Orleans. This downtrodden street has been repopulated by the
offices of several nonprofits, a cafe, a theater, and art gallery, and an African American cultural heritage
center. The street is named after Oretha Castle-Haley, a leader in the direct action and civil
disobedience in the 1960s New Orleans Civil Rights movement, and an important activist for equal
health care and education.
Wishlist: Homemade vermiculture bins, raised beds
Proposed garden site The building is is an old wig factory
Mural on the neighboring Ashe Cultural Center
6. Name of Garden Neighborhood Host Organization Contact Name
Laurentine Ernst Holy Cross Parkway Partners Jenga Mwendo
Patsy Story
Garden Description: This small neighborhood garden is named after Ms. Ernst, a life-time resident of
the Holy Cross neighborhood. She is famous for planting gardens on the neutral ground (median) of
streets all around the neighborhood. Holy Cross, a small neighborhood on the Mississippi River, is
leading redevelopment and environmental sustainability efforts in the Lower Ninth Ward. The garden
has a variety of annual and perennial flowers, herbs, and vegetables. It also has a small milkweed
garden for monarch butterflies. Recently, in a work day including the American Community Gardening
Association and LowerNine.org, a three-bin composter and a cold frame were constructed.
Wishlist:
1. Lit paved walkways
2. Replace railroad ties around beds with stone edgers
3. Bamboo 'living' privacy fence
4. Tool Shed
5. Build small bench seating area
6. Create raised beds outside of fence for community access
7. Potting bench for older folks
Drawing 1: Imagine . . . lit stone paths,
raised stone edges, benches
A cute little corner garden in the historic Holy
Cross neighborhood
Powerful spirits reside in this garden
7. Name of Garden Neighborhood Host Organization Contact Name
Morrison Playspot Ponchartrain Park Hilairie Schackai
Norma Hedrick
Garden Description: Morrison Playspot is a large, city-owned plot located in Ponchartrain Park, a
neighborhood developed in the 1950's and known as New Orleans' first middle-class African American
neighborhood. Before Hurricane Katrina, Ponchartrain Park was inhabited mostly by the original
owners of the houses, many of whom were advanced in age. Because of this, the area was hit
especially hard by the storm, and as of March 2008 only 30% of the homes there are reinhabited. The
playspot sits adjacent to the Joseph Bartholemew Sr. Municipal Golf Course, which was designed by
the first African American golf course architect and the first in New Orleans to allow black golfers.
The playspot will be a hub for neighborhood redevelopment, recreation, and sustainability. The
project, in its final form, will contain a cyprus forest, community garden area, children's' play area,
natural wetland, and amphitheater. It will contain a roadside produce stand and the land adjacent will
be developed with shops and small businesses.
The large plot, seen from Congress Street
Ponchartrain Park Neighborhood
(playspot is in red)
Norma Hedrick with Willie, longtime
Community garden area in need of
resident and resident gardener
expansion
8. Name of Garden Neighborhood Host Organization Contact Name
Small Axe Farms Marigny Parkway Partners Eric Kugler
Garden Description: Small Axe is on a vacant lot that is collectively farmed by about 10
neighborhood residents. The garden is intended to provide fresh fruit and vegetables, a safe
neighborhood hang out spot, and a place where children can learn about gardening and food
production. There is a monthly garden potluck, where dishes are prepared using food from the garden.
Wishlist:
1. Wooden Benches and a picnic table for the monthly potlucks
2. A brick barbecue pit
3. Stone paths
4. A pergola shade structure with grape vines
An oasis of positivity Cardboard paths in need of rocks
Herb spiral promises tasty food Compost, and source of worms for
neighborhood fishermen
9. Name of Garden Neighborhood Host Organization Contact Name
St. Claude Food Forest Bywater Helen Krieger
Garden Description: This empty lot is adjacent to a city bus stop on a busy corner of St. Claude in the
Bywater. The garden is currently being tended by Helen and Michael, who own the neighboring
Taekwondo studio and real-estate office. The food forest will create a source of fresh fruit for locals as
well as an aesthetically pleasing waiting area for the city bus. In the long term, the garden hopes to be
a full fruit forest, surrounded by a living fence. There will also be a water catchment cistern, drip
watering system, and graywater filtering pond.
Wishlist:
1. Living Fence
2. Public waiting space
3. Graywater harvesting pond
4. Water catchment cistern
Site of the future food forest
Michael tending the herb spiral Raised bed made out of bamboo
10. Name of Garden Neighborhood Host Organization Contact Name
The Porch 7th Ward The Porch 7th Ward Ed Buckner
Cultural Center Dan Etheridge
Garden Description: This garden is the agricultural arm of The Porch, a cultural center which is
dedicated to preserving the culture of New Orleans as well as rebuilding the 7th Ward. The Porch hosts
after-school art programs for kids, dance classes, and works closely with several housing organizations.
The garden has raised beds, a shade structure, and a new tool shed. The gardeners hope to sell produce
at farmers markets around town.
Wish List:
1. New fence
2. Picnic table and benches in the shady corner
Ed Buckner greets his peas
Shade structure and drums for water Future site of picnic table and benches
catchment
11. Name of Garden Neighborhood Host Organization Contact Name
St. Roch Community 8th Ward Renaissance Project Reggie Lawson
Garden
Garden Description: The St. Roch garden is an ambitious and exciting project. The plan: take 1.3
acres of overgrown city property in a struggling neighborhood and convert it into a working farm. The
crops will be tended by high school students and sold at farmers markets. The challenge: the plan calls
for 34 raised garden beds and 2000 cubic yards of soil. The potential: urban gardens of this magnitude
have the potential to drastically change the food system as we know it, ushering in an era of food
security, sustainability, less reliance on fossil fuel, and a closer connection with our food and those who
produce it.
Wishlist:
1. Raised beds
2. Fencing
Reggie Lawson at the garden site
The garden overlooks a residential neighborhood
The master plan
12. Name of Garden Neighborhood Host Organization Contact Name
Second Harvest Harahan Second Harvest Food David Coffman
Community Garden Bank
Garden description: Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana (GNOA) is
transitioning to community food security programming. Community gardening is a major aspect of the
planned transition. Community gardens will enable agencies to receive more fresh fruits and vegetables
which will assist GNOA in meeting the nutritional needs of the community.
Many emergency food relief organizations are concerned about meeting the dietary needs of the
community; however, a nationwide shortage of food has limited the availability of fresh healthy foods.
With a community garden at the 1201 Sams Avenue facility GNOA can begin to address nutritional
concerns while teaching interested community members about the benefits of gardening, and eating
local fresh foods. The garden will contain a series of raised beds which agencies can rent and use to
grow fruits and vegetables. The remainder of the space will be used by Second Harvest as a
demonstration/education garden.
Wishlist:
1. Raised beds
2. Soil
3. Path
Proposed garden site
13. Name of Garden Neighborhood Host Organization Contact Name
St. Margaret's Courtyard Bywater St. Margaret's Manda Mountain
Garden Description: This garden is designed for use by residents of St. Margaret's Nursing home.
The garden has two functions. First, it is meant to provide a green sanctuary, a place where residents
can connect with nature and the outdoors. Second, it is designed to provide a space for residents to
garden. Many of the people living here have had experience gardening throughout their lives, and
would like to have a chance to do it at the nursing home. Manda Mountain, a St. Margaret's employee
is developing a wishlist based on what types of flowers, trees, and vegetables the community would
like to see. Also, she is keeping in mind the idea that raised areas have to be designed so that people in
wheelchairs will be able to tend to plants. One idea would be special potting tables at which people in
wheelchairs would work.
Raised pots for resident gardening projects
Proposed corner for fruit trees
14. Name of Garden Neighborhood Host Organization Contact Name
Holy Angels Courtyard Bywater Holy Angels Sister Joyce
Garden Description: The Holy Angels Courtyard is the site of the Ninth Ward Farmers Market. The
space has a series of beautiful stone grottos which have landscaping as well as small soil compartments
where flowers and/or herbs can be placed. The project here would involve the installation of low-
maintenance landscaping, hopefully edible, and addition of features such as benches to make the space
more conducive to community events. Additionally there is an garden behind the convent (Bro' Andre's
Garden), which needs serious weeding, mulching and addition of new stone paths and perennials.
Wishlist:
1. re-planting the soil compartments and landscaping surrounding the grottos
2. Weeding, mulching, and maintenance of several gardens in the compound
3. Benches in the shade of courtyard trees
4. Plant dogwood and maple trees
5. Weed, mulch, and re-plant Bro. Andre's Garden
One of several grottos Soil compartment in need of planting
Crab fishermen boiling crabs at the weekly Wise master gardeners doling out advice at
farmers market the farmers market
15. Name of Garden Neighborhood Host Organization Contact Name
Oliver Bush Playground Lower 9th Ward Groundwork New Pam Broom
Orleans
Urban Farm Initiative
Garden Description: This initiative hopes to turn an old abandoned park in the flood-ravaged ninth
ward into a grove of fruiting and flowering trees, community garden, and sanctuary. It would add a
positive space to the struggling neighborhood, and an inspiration to those rebuilding and repopulating
the area.
Wishlist:
1. Fruit/Flowering trees, including Pawpaw, River Birch, Eastern Redbud, Southern Catalpa,
Roughleaf Dogwood, Parlsey Hawthorn, Southern Crabapple, and Snowbell
2. recycled concrete paths
Wide open spaces - full of potential
Nature taking over Children will play here again
16. Name of Garden Neighborhood Host Organization Contact Name
Dunson Memorial Lower 9th Ward Renaissance Project Greta Gladney
Garden
Garden Description: This garden, located on the site of a house which was destroyed during Katrina,
will be a memorial for those who died during the storm. Visitors will walk through an archway which
will open up on a community garden where locals will have plots, and in which local schools will teach
children about gardening. The site currently contains a Clean Hub, a completely self contained, self-
sustaining growing apparatus developed by the University of Minnesota. The hub, made from an old
shipping container, collects rainwater, solar energy, and human compost. It is completely off the grid .
Dunson Memorial garden will ultimately be paired with the Lower Ninth Ward farmers market
to provide fresh local produce for community consumption.
The "Clean Hub," built from an old shipping container
Whole blocks . . . wiped out when the federal flood
walls failed
17. Name of Garden Neighborhood Host Organization Contact Name
Dunson Lower 9th Ward Renaissance Project Greta Gladney
Greenhouse/Citrus
Grove
Garden Description: This site, also in the Lower 9th Ward, will contain a greenhouse designed by the
University of Minnesota architecture department. This greenhouse will be integrated with the Dunson
Memorial Garden and the Lower Ninth Ward Farmers Market. Special thanks to Kyle Skar, Christine
Warnert, Jake Lewis, Jodi Wilson, Michael Sobol, and faculty advisor Tom Westbrook.
