"Rendez-vous in the garden... with plants from the University of Montpellier!

[Press release] - Published on May 14, 2025 in Press room

For the ^22nd national and international edition of the "Rendez-vous in the Garden" program initiated by the French Ministry of Culture, the University of Montpellier's plant garden has been selected to host three special days on June 6, 7 and 8 on the theme of "Jardins de pierre, pierres de Jardins". Jardins de pierre, pierres de Jardins". On this occasion, numerous professionals - gardeners, owners, landscapers, botanists, guides, etc. - will be mobilized over three days to share their passion for gardens and their know-how with visitors, notably through visits throughout the day.

Beyond its cultural and festive dimension, this event is an opportunity to showcase the work carried out by the French Ministry of Culture, garden owners and local authorities to promote the knowledge, conservation, restoration, upkeep and promotion of gardens, as well as the transmission of knowledge and know-how. 

Three unique days as part of the "rendez-vous in the garden" series

(free of charge and without registration) :

Friday, June 6 :

• 1:30 p.m.: plants and stones: the unusual cohabitation of plant and mineral worlds
• 1:45pm: the garden collections
• 2pm: garden norias
• 3pm: in a dry, mineral world, discover the adaptations of Mediterranean plants
• 4pm: general garden tour

Saturday, June 7 :

• 2pm: systematic school busts
• 3pm: discovering bees
• 4pm: general garden tour

Sunday June 8 :

• 2pm: Plants and stones: the unusual cohabitation of plant and mineral worlds
• 3pm: in a dry, mineral world, discover the adaptations of Mediterranean plants
• 4pm: edible garden: watering and dry soil

The Montpellier plant garden

Founded in 1593 at the request of King Henri IV by physician and botanist Pierre Richer de Belleval, to collect medicinal plants and train "carabins", the Jardin des Plantes is today one of Montpellier's most emblematic landmarks, attracting visitors from all over the world. Visitors come to stroll in the shade of the bamboo grove or along the shady paths of the English garden, to admire the Martins greenhouse and its "succulent" plants, or to dream along the banks of the lotus pond in the footsteps of André Gide or Paul Valéry... From the outset, the Jardin des Plantes established itself as an exceptional place for teaching and research. Remarkable personalities such as Pierre Magnol and Augustin-Pyramus de Candolle made major conceptual advances in the field of botany. In addition to plant collections, both in the open air and under glass, there is a statuary dedicated to Montpellier naturalists. The Jardin des Plantes de Montpellier conserves trees several hundred years old and many rare species. Enlarged in 1810 and 1860, it covers almost 5 hectares in the heart of Montpellier. Classified as a site (since 1982) and protected as a historic monument (since 1992), France's oldest official botanical garden is attached to the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Montpellier.

In 2022, Montpellier's Jardin des Plantes was awarded the "Jardin Remarquable" label by the French Ministry of Culture, which distinguishes gardens and parks, whether public or private, of cultural, aesthetic, historical or botanical interest. In 2023, it also received a 3.4 million euro grant from the FDJ to fully restore the Maison de l'Intendance as part of the heritage mission led by Stéphane Bern.