The Friersons' Hidden Retreat (New Orleans, Louisiana)
United States of America -- Louisiana -- Orleans Parish -- New Orleans
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes worksheets, historical photographs and photocopies of articles.
General:
A city property measuring 90 by 120 feet with a Georgian style house built in the 1920's has formal garden rooms that fulfill the owners' principle requirements: privacy with a sense of enclosure, year-round color and fragrance, and visibility of the garden from every room in the house. An open side yard visible from the street was enclosed behind a brick wall draped in confederate jasmine with hedges on three sides that include camellia, azalea, cleyera, sweet osmanthus and boxwood, bulbs and annuals. The lawn of St. Augustine grass, called a tapis vert, terminates in a brick courtyard with a Palladian style fountain and four garden beds. A guest house was added to the property in the back corner, with its own patio and Japanese maple trees. Directly behind the main house there is a secret garden containing an antique fountain surrounded by four cherubs that represent the four seasons and shaded by mature camellias that have grown as tall as small trees. A kitchen garden for herbs has the necessary utilitarian features: garden sheds, a small greenhouse and a potting table.
Urns, window boxes, other containers and hanging baskets sited throughout the garden are planted with flowering shrubs and annuals for year-round color. An enormous antique urn that is a family heirloom was fitted into the Palladian fountain and planted with witch hazel. White and cool tones are favored, with some pink flowers for contrast. Old New Orleans soft red brick was used for the patios and walkways that connect the garden rooms, initially designed by landscape architect René J.L. Fransen. A formal knot garden with planted urns is situated in front of the house, visible to all.
Persons associated with the garden include: Esmond Phelps, Sr. (former owner, 1927); Robert Reisfields (former owner, 1971); Charles Armstrong and Richard Koch (architects, 1927); Douglas Freret (architect, 1971); Baby Hardie (garden designer, 1971); René J.L. Fransen (landscape architect, 1980); Barry Fox (architect, 1980); and Marianne Mumford (landscape architect, 2002).
Related Materials:
The Friersons' Hidden Retreat related holdings consist of 1 folder (21 digital images, 3 photographic prints)
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
