Spring is Here

Steckler’s garden manual,
Steckler Seed Co., New Orleand
click to enlarge

Spring in Louisiana is upon us and the local flora are in full bloom. This time of year reminds us of the many beautiful plants, flowers, and trees that grow around Louisiana. The Louisiana Research Collection (LaRC) has a special mission to preserve archival collections relating to ecological and environmental sciences, including records of Louisiana horticultural, gardening, wilderness, and outdoor recreation societies.

LaRC’s horticultural and botanical society records date back to the 19th century and include the records of the East Feliciana Pilgrimage & Garden Club, Fall Garden Festival, Garden Sprouts (a children's gardening club), Garden Study Club of New Orleans, Louisiana Garden Club Federation, Metairie Garden Club, New Orleans Botanical Garden Foundation, New Orleans Garden Society, New Orleans Old Garden Rose Society, Southern Garden History Society, and many more.

The Louisiana Research Collection also preserves significant documentation for Louisiana environmental organizations, such as the Environmental Research Consortium of Louisiana, Greater New Orleans Foundation Environmental Fund, Green Project, Louisiana Energy Resources & Information Center, Louisiana Environmental Action Network, Louisiana Environmental Health Association, Louisiana Environmental Study Group, and more.

Highlights from LaRC's horticultural, botanical, and environmental holdings include:

Botanical Society of New Orleans records, 1935-1937, M-145

This collection includes a general plan for the proposed arboretum in New Orleans City Park and justifications for why an arboretum is necessary.

David Campbell papers (1890s-2016)

David Campbell is a Louisiana attorney, historic preservationist and environmentalist. Campbell was the president of the Preservation Resource Center and the Louisiana Landmarks Society, and he is the founder of the Little Tchefuncte River Association, a St. Tammany-based environmental organization. Campbell was active with several state and regional environmental and urban redevelopment organizations. This collection consists of the records of the Little Tchefuncte River Association, which include maps of St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington parishes, along with information regarding conservation efforts on the regional, state, and national levels. The collection also contains Campbell’s personal correspondence, papers concerning his involvement in civic and legal affairs, notes and photographs of Carnival from 1950s through the 1970s, and his memoirs.

Research notes of Harry Daunoy

Dorothy Thomas Hardie papers, 1948-1987, Coll. 1092

Dorothy Thomas Hardie (1910-1988) was a landscape architect and garden consultant in New Orleans. This collection preserves her professional papers (including client lists, ledgers, and architectural plans) and personal papers.

Harry Daunoy papers, 1924-1965, Coll. 71

Harry L. Daunoy (1889-1958) was a well-known American garden soil specialist and flower cultivation expert. He studied the effect of garden soil pH on flowering plants, especially roses, camellias, and azaleas. He wrote numerous articles on horticulture and soil science for popular and scientific publications. He also supported the beautification of New Orleans City Park and was active in many gardening clubs and scientific societies. This collection includes his scientific notes from studies he conducted on plant growth using various methods of ground cover, fertilizer, and pesticides; soil analyses; and photographs.

Japanese Garden Society of New Orleans records, 1992-2007, Coll. 1090

The Japanese Garden Society of New Orleans (JGSNO) was created in the mid-1980s to support establishing a Japanese garden in New Orleans. The collection consists of correspondence, organizational records, agendas, and minutes of the society.

Louisiana Iris Society papers, 1932-1976, Coll. 1082

1895 New Orleans Horticultural Society bulletin
for the Grand Chrysanthemum Show.

This collection consists of records belonging to the society and research notes on botany in Louisiana. Included are correspondence, field notes, articles and papers, meeting minutes, clippings, photographs, and administrative records. It also contains the personal correspondence and notes of Percy Viosca, which predate the establishment of the society.

New Orleans Society for Plant Science records, 1930-1943, Coll. 641

This collection includes the organizational records of the New Orleans Society for Plant Sciences (previously known as the Botanical Society of New Orleans). The materials consist of the correspondence, meeting reports, constitutions, membership information, financial records, a history of the society, and social event details, of the club. In addition, this collection has details for the planning of the proposed building of an arboretum and botanical garden in City Park in New Orleans. The project plans can be found in meeting notes, reports, sketches by architect, Richard Koch, and copies of the Arboretum Bulletin contained in the collection.

Sarah D. Butler, 1926-1963, Coll. 381

Sarah Duncan Butler (1884-1966) lived in West Feliciana Parish and New Orleans, La. She was an avid gardener and student of ornamental horticulture, and was active in gardening clubs. Her collection contains handwritten and typed correspondence such as orders for flower bulbs and garden pesticides, drafts of writings about botany and gardening, research and field notes about plants and botanists, a photograph, bulletins and other items relating to the New Orleans Garden Society.

Photo of City Park, undated. Louisiana Image Collection

By Stephanie Jolissant, Charles L. “Pie” Dufour intern, Louisiana Research Collection
Select the images to enlarge them.