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ORAL HISTORY

Paul Arceneaux, community gardener

Metairie Community Garden

When Paul Arceneaux evacuated New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina, he left behind 300 basil plants in the community garden he tends, on a plot of publicly-owned land in Metairie. He returned to three feet of trash and a “post-apocalyptic” scene. Most of his herbs – including edible marigold flowers, rosemary, and garlic chives – went into pestos that he sold at the farmers’ market, and he also supplied plants to local restaurants. Arceneaux took over the pesto business from a friend, who had asked him to fill in for her while she was out of town. “I started off as a shopper, and look what happened to me!” he says. Now, he is focused on evaluating the health of the soil and clearing the beds of debris – then, he hopes, he can begin growing again.