The gardens of the Jardin des Plantes

Between two rows of magnificent plane trees, five squares known as perspective squares lead the eye across the structure of the Jardin des Plantes.

Strolling through the garden

While strolling around, you may notice something a little odd... The "squares" are rectangular in shape! Perhaps the architect made a mistake... or perhaps squares were just too... square. In fact the name comes from the French word for a cultivating frame - a carré - which also means square.

Following the tradition of the "French garden" in which open space, symmetry and the harmony of forms are privileged, the squares constitute a vast effect of perspective, 480 metres long and covering 2.5 hectares, between the statue of Lamarck on the banks of the Seine and the statue of Buffon, by the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution (Gallery of Evolution). A relaxing place for pleasant and colourful walks, always changing as the seasons turn, thanks to the two annual series of plantations. As soon as winter ends, biannual plants and bulbs planted the previous November come into full bloom. The May plantation gives rise to a magnificent summer display. Seven hundred plant varieties will play a role in keeping the flower beds dazzling from June to October. This living catalogue is the result of collective work carried out by a team of botanists, horticulturists, seed producers and suppliers who come together to promote an awareness of ornamental garden plants. It offers a wealth of ideas for amateur gardeners short on imagination!

Right in the middle of Paris, nestled in the heart of the Jardin des Plantes, the Alpine Garden is a magnificent collection of more than 2,000 species of mountain plants. Take a walk in an amazing place, with a particularly subtle charm.

From the mountains to Paris

The original Jardin Alpin was created in 1640, as the jardin des plantes de montagne (garden of mountain plants). Enlarged and developed during the tenure of Buffon during the 18^th century, it achieved its present form around 1931. It was planted on the Carré des couches, one of the perspective squares, which had previously been used for the breeding of plants. Extending over almost 4,000 square metres, the Jardin Alpin brings together plants from high, medium and low altitude regions of France and the world. It is also home to some typical specimens of specific ecological environments, such as peat bogs.

One of the major challenges facing our gardeners is to have plants from such diverse habitats as the dry Mediterranean regions and the high, cool mountain slopes, all living together outdoors in the centre of Paris!

Entirely dedicated to the queen of flowers, the rose garden has been grown elegantly and delicately around the galerie de Minéralogie (Mineralogy Gallery). Romantically inspired, visitors are invited to walk among 390 wild species and varieties of old and contemporary "botanical" roses.

Beauty and education

Whether they form dense shrubs or grow in sprays over the arches, whether they offer a single bloom each year or flower several times during the season, the roses of the Rose and Rock Garden exhibit all their diversity, and bring into the open the richness of the genus Rosa. Roses with simple flowers, double flowers, scented or odourless, climbers, tea hybrids, English style or bouquets... all your senses will be called into play by this symphony of colours and fragrances, with its magnificent climax in May and June.

The rose garden was designed and planted in 1990. The layout is based on the history of cultivation of the rose since ancient times. The central pathway, shaded by climbing roses, is surrounded by dense flower beds, through which visitors can discover all the colours and scents of several varieties with famous names, such as "Ferdinand Pichard", "Souvenir de la Malmaison", "Baron Girod de l'Ain", "France"…

Among the delicacy of the flowers, you'll see several rocks and stones providing a contrasting backdrop. These are the outdoor echo of the mineralogical collections housed in the building around which the rose garden grows. They show the huge diversity of the rock types found in France. The sandstone of Fontainebleau (Île-de-France) stands next to the talc of Luzenac (Pyrenees) and the gabbro of Queyras (Alps). Discover them all as you walk!

At the top of the maze stands one of the oldest metal constructions in the world, the Gloriette de Buffon, a wrought iron gazebo, built by Edmé Verniquet, architect of the Grand Amphithéâtre (Grand Lecture Hall) of the Museum.

In the beginning...

The maze hill was one of the first lands acquired for the foundation of the Royal Garden of Medicinal Plants. Its dry soil favours a Mediterranean vegetation, such as cedars, pines, maples and yews, which is not exactly the natural Parisian vegetation... The reason is rather quirky. In fact, the hill was formed in the 14^th century by an accumulation of rubbish and limestone rubble from the suburbs of the capital, making an all-but natural mound with very particular geological features! Initially covered with vines, the hill was topped with a kiosk in honour of Buffon by Edmé Verniquet in 1788. Predating the works of Victor Baltard by 60 years, and more than a century before the achievements of Gustave Eiffel, the Gloriette de Buffon is one of the oldest metal buildings in the world.

Its iron frame, of very high quality, was made in Buffon's own forges in Montbard. The structure once included superstructures and decorations in bronze, copper, lead and gold. A "solar gong" once sat at the top. It would ring every day at noon thanks to a hammer triggered by the breaking of a horsehair when it was burned through by the sun focussed by a magnifying glass.

Unfortunately, the combination of various metals transformed the structure into a multi-metallic battery, and many parts degraded rapidly due to electrolysis. Recently restored, the structure has regained its original appearance, with the exception of its solar gong.

A grave, a bust and a poem

Going back down from the maze you'll pass many remarkable trees, such as the Cretan maple (Acer sempervirens) brought back from the East by Tournefort in 1702, the chestnut-leaved oak (Quercus castaneifolia), and the highly poisonous European yew (Taxus baccata), at the origin of some of the most powerful anti-cancer medicines discovered in the 20^th century. A little further on you'll find the tomb of Daubenton, the first director of the brand new museum when it opened in 1793. Finally, at the foot of the maze hill, the poem Nocturne, by Saint-John Perse, is engraved on three bronze sculptures... Can you find them all?