"Round many of them are planted rose bushes and other flowering shrubs, some of which at this time were in full bearing and here and there were cedar and orange trees, which always retain their greenness."

A. Oakey Hall, 1851

Vegetation & Landscape Issues

As in the case of domestic architecture, a range of garden features, such as planters, accompanies the various types of tomb that have developed in the cemetery. Used for both visual and olfactory decoration of the tomb and cemetery as a whole, gardens played an important role in the design of the tomb, and specialized plant palettes encoded with the language of mourning were used as part of this design.

Family memories and documents may describe the traditional flowers used in the planters and to make the immortelles placed on the tomb for All Saints' Day and other special occasions. If the precinct has not been paved over, consider re-establishing the grass and shell ground cover and replace plantings that once existed. Plants and trees with invasive roots should be avoided, as they can damage tomb masonry.

Caution must be taken with power equipment near masonry or iron work. Grass and ground cover should be cut with nylon filament trimmers only. Do not use herbicides as they can cause deterioration of masonry and corrosion of metals, in cases where contact might occur. When considering major restoration work, do not undertake any interventions that create a discordant appearance in the cemetery landscape, such as the repaving of the precinct with concrete Covering the surface with cement serves to reduce the ability of the ground to evaporate moisture, but does not change the fact that the ground water is right below the tomb providing a ready source of moisture for rising damp. The interior structure of highly porous bricks, with numerous capillary sized pores, are powerful water absorbers and will overcome gravity to pull ground water into the structure.

Opening quote: A. Oakey Hall, The Manhattaner in New Orleans or, Phases of 'Crescent City' Life. 1851. Reprint for the Louisiana American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1976.

Text adapted from St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Guidelines for Preservation and Restoration. The full document of guidelines can be downloaded as a pdf file. Go There.