Summer Tours Return to the Botanical Garden at the University of Montpellier’s School of Medicine
Every year for nearly 10 years, the team at the Jardin des Plantes at the University of Montpellier has been hosting the public for guided tours centered on specific themes. Open to everyone, free of charge, and by registration only, visitors are welcome from July 1, 2022, to August 30, 2022, in an intimate setting.
Themed Tours
This year, the Jardin des Plantes’ summer tours cover nine recurring themes: “Herbs and the Sensory Gardens,” “Medicinal Plant Collections,” “The Jardin des Plantes’ Plant Collections,” “The Martins Greenhouse and Its Succulent Collection,” “To Be or Not to Be a Botanical Garden—That Is the Question,” “Tours of the Permaculture Edible Garden,” “Aromatic Plants and Spices,” and “The Garden, Medicine, and Botany for 400 Years.” Accompanied by guides who are passionate about botany, visitors will have the privilege of discovering the garden’s history and its rich biodiversity. The goal: to offer, through a variety of tours, fun and enjoyable experiences to share with family or friends.
A cultural, educational, and fun event
Each tour takes place at one of the Jardin des Plantes’ iconic sites, such as the Martins Greenhouse and the School of Systematics. These sites offer visitors the opportunity to learn more about a variety of fun, hands-on, and cultural topics.
The tour “The (Oldest) Jardin des Plantes: Where History and Ecology Meet” aims, among other things, to explore more than 400 years of history and ecology. “Herbs and the Senses” offers a sensory journey, allowing visitors to see, touch, and—above all—engage their sense of smell, with its powerful evocative power. Visitors will also have the opportunity to explore the permaculture garden created in 2021—which combines fruits, perennial vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers—and learn techniques from our botanist-gardeners that they can apply at home. These various themes, among others, will allow everyone to discover the garden’s collections and its secrets through the expertise of our team.
Focus:
The Jardin des Plantes is the oldest jewel in the Faculty of Medicine’s heritage. More than four centuries of shared history have continuously united these two institutions. Established by order of Henry IV in 1593, the garden covers an area of 46,460 m² and is home to more than 2,200 species of plants in the open air, including 760 trees, as well as 1,000 species of plants in greenhouses.
Practical Information:
Date: July1, 2022, through August 31, 2022
Location: Jardin des Plantes, Boulevard Henri IV, 34000 Montpellier
Tour duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes