Drop Me off in New Orleans

With a hat tip to trumpeter Kermit Ruffins

French Quarter Fest is a four-day showcase of New Orleans culture and heritage. Like its more famous and upscale cousin, Jazz Fest (underway as I write this; wish I were there!), it’s a celebration of music, and particularly jazz. But FQF distinguishes itself by highlighting Louisiana-based talent and unfolding in the heart of the Vieux Carré neighborhood of the city – whereas Jazz Fest draws musicians from around the country and globe and takes place at a fairgrounds somewhat removed from the downtown area.

We were lucky enough to attend French Quarter Fest 2022 in April, after multiple covid-caused postponements. We found ourselves living in a shotgun shack (for real). We were enveloped by dixieland, brass band, blues, folk, rock, reggae, hip hop, funk, soul and rock. We did our best to soak up The Big Easy’s creativity, warmth, history and quirky mirth. It was a sensory and emotional feast on many levels.

I also took the opportunity to run up to Baton Rouge to visit Hilltop Arboretum, a public garden owned by Louisiana State University (Geaux Tigers!) that focuses on plants native to the Mississippi valley.

While strolling Hilltop’s paths and admiring the lush Cajun prairie and wetlands, it occurred to me that if landscapes were music, traditional gardens -- with their formal structures and conventions -- might be classical symphonies. The gardener would be the composer and conductor, ensuring performances are faithful to the score's intent.

Native gardens, on the other hand, often lean toward a more naturalistic format, which would in turn be closer to jazz. As the gardener of a native landscape, you're welcome to choose the species for your composition, but the plants themselves will decide whether and how they’ll interact with one another and their surroundings. Moreover, nature will take over as your band leader, and improvisation will pick up your carefully-laid plans and send them on an unpredictable progression.

Music critic Whitney Balliett described jazz as "an art of surprise." How wonderful to have a garden full of artful surprises.

These musings made it seem all the more appropriate to be celebrating Louisiana’s indigenous flora alongside its local musical talent at French Quarter Fest.

Following are a few highlights from Hilltop.

The serene setting of Hilltop Arboretum.

Violet wood-sorrel (Oxalis violacea) representing the dainty side of the spring blooming spectrum.

Scarlet sage (Salvia coccinea) providing hot tropical drama amid the seasonal pastels.

Five species of iris are indigenous to the Mississippi valley and Gulf Coast region. Pictured here, I believe, are Abbeville red (Iris nelsonii) in the foreground and giant blue (Iris giganticarulea) behind. Giant blue is Louisiana’s official wildflower.

I think this is Iris hexagona.

My best guess is that this is Iris vinicolor, a naturally-occurring hybrid of Iris fulva and Iris giganticaerulea.

The intricate filigree of a panicgrass, possibly Dicanthelium scoparium.

The delicate foliage of pond cypress (Taxodium distichum var. nutans). Surprisingly, at least to me, these are deciduous trees. The needles will turn a bright orangey-brown in the fall before dropping to the ground for the winter.

Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), its bold geometry contrasting with the tracery of cypress and panicgrass, while reminding us we’re in the South.

And here’s the payoff: a blue dasher dragonfly looking…well, dashing. The presence of dragonflies is a reliable indicator of the health of a freshwater ecosystem. They eat other insects, including mosquitoes, and in turn get eaten by birds and frogs.

French Quarter Fest can be appreciated solely for the quality of the performances; they’re superb. But there’s a deeper value in supporting the music that’s indigenous to the Crescent City – namely, to reinforce a cornerstone of a unique and vibrant culture. Similarly, the reason for celebrating native plants is not just that they’re beautiful, although they most certainly are. The deeper purpose is to provide foundations for healthy ecosystems, which will in turn continue to support us humans.

Laissez les bons temps et jardins rouler!

As a bonus, here’s Kermit Ruffins with a righteous rendition of “Drop Me off in New Orleans.”