 Houmas House Gardens
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by Mary Fonseca

Houmas House's beautiful grounds are shaded by centuries-old live oak trees |

Statues portraying the four seasons highlight the plantation's front garden |

Two dome-roofed garçonnières (separate quarters for guests and/or sons of Creole aristocrats) still stand amid Houmas House's lush greenery |

Dr. George B. Crozat, a New Orleans orthodontist who owned Houmas House for many years, rescued the home's unkempt gardens in 1940. He often nursed castoff plants back to health and added them to his garden beds. |

Behind Houmas House, Dr. Crozat created a boxwood parterre reminiscent of one he enjoyed in Williamsburg, Virginia |

Brick walkways accented with pillars and urns add to the beauty and accessibility of the gardens |

Dr. Crozat's heirs preserved the gardens at Houmas House with the same careful attention he gave them |

They have embellished the lawn with a 180-foot wisteria arbor that is so in keeping with its surroundings that many visitors are surprised to learn that it is a recent addition to the grounds |
Photo Credits: Mary Fonseca
© 1999 Mary Fonseca. All rights reserved.
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