Fred Heutte

Who is Fred Heutte?

Frederic Heutte was a leading writer, gardener and horticulturist in Norfolk, Virginia. He became head of Norfolk's parks in 1936, and became a leading advocate for the beautification of the Tidewater Virginia city through its landscaping. In 1936 Heutte founded and was director of the Norfolk Botanical Garden until he retired in 1966. The garden has the distinction of being the only botanical garden that surrounds a municipal airport. Later, Norfolk International Airport became a national model for reconciling the landscape and commercial aviation.

He wrote "Fred Heutte's Gardening in the Temperate Zone" in 1977, dedicated to his wife Florence. The book details monthly garden duties for a Tidewater garden, as well as favorite plants for the climate. Trademarks of his work are the camellia, azalea and crape myrtle. His favorite was the crape myrtle, as it bloomed the longest in the Norfolk climate.

Today, Mr. Heutte's wishes for enriching the Norfolk community are preserved by volunteers of The Friends of Fred Heutte Foundation in Norfolk, Virginia, who have worked since 1970 to share his ideals of urban beautification through horticultural education and to maintain the Ferry Terminal Building and its surround gardens located in Ghent Square.