The community gardens of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana were first initiated in the 1980s during the oil bust, when oil related industry was leaving the city. Community gardens were developed on indigent properties in an attempt to turn eyesores into productive, attractive use that could support the surrounding neighborhood. The idea was fostered through the Parkway Commission, then saddled with the burden of improving blighted properties for the city. At its peak there were 154 community gardens developed in New Orleans, all developed through an organization called Parkway Partners. Many of the gardens fell to disuse or development and the number of sustained gardens stabilized at about 50.
During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Parkway Partners was able to revitalize 31 gardens and additionally established 5 orchards. In the meantime, a surge in the number of gardens again took place throughout the city in a variety of ways, again due to an enormous number of blighted properties. Churches, miscellaneous neighborhood based organizations began gardens on their own property.