Tag Archive for: Jardin des Plantes
The 18th edition of Primavera will take place on Sunday, March 19, 2023, at the Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier. Exhibitions, lectures, and a sale of rare plants will be held there from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
1. A golden opportunity to acquire an exceptional plant
Primavera’s sale of rare plants is sure to delight botany enthusiasts and hobby gardeners alike. Just imagine: being able to admire a little piece of the Jardin des Plantes in your living room or garden every day. Green will be this spring’s top decor trend!
2. A Day of Learning
The 3 talks you won't want to miss:
- 2:30 p.m.: “Plant Nomenclature: From Pre-Linnaean Authors to the Shenzhen Code” by Pierre COULOT, pharmacist and biologist, founder and
president of the Botanical Society of Occitanie, and specialist in the Fabaceae family. - 3:30 p.m.: “The Mysteries of the Labyrinth” by Andrée LAFON. Passionate about literature, theater, and psychoanalysis, she has written several books
that place a strong emphasis on depth psychology. - 4:30 p.m.: “The Restoration Project for Pierre Richer de Belleval’s Intendance and Its Maze” by Professor Thierry LAVABRE-BERTRAND, Director of the Jardin des Plantes.
3. A blend of art and nature
Anne Tassin, a ceramic artist, invites you to visit her exhibition, “Inspiration végétale”
4. Come see the recently renovated Rabelais monument!
Sculpted by Jacques Villeneuve, the monument—dedicated to Rabelais and the pleasures of life—was unveiled on November 6, 1921, by President Alexandre Millerand. The monument was a gift from the students as part of the celebration marking the 700th anniversary of the Faculty of Medicine, where Rabelais studied in 1530.
The University of Montpellier, the Montpellier-Nîmes School of Medicine, and the Montpellier Jardin des Plantes Corporate Foundation contributed to the restoration of this monument.
5. It’s spring!
Who doesn’t love strolling through the paths of the Jardin des Plantes in the spring? It’s the perfect time to see the garden’s lush flora come back to life after winter. Primavera is an excellent excuse—if one is needed—to discover or rediscover the Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier.
Did you know? The Jardin des Plantes is home to many unique features. Among the most recent is a permaculture vegetable garden. Created two years ago on the initiative of Jean-François “Jeff” Fauveau, a member of our team of botanist-gardeners, this permaculture garden is now the winner of the prestigious national vegetable garden competition, organized by the National Horticultural Society of France ! This is a source of immense pride for our Faculty and the teams at the Jardin des Plantes. At the awards ceremony held on November 30, we met Jeff, who told us about this project.
A project born out of post-lockdown reflection
It was in 2020 that the idea of creating a permaculture vegetable garden at the Jardin des Plantes first took root in Jeff’s mind. Intrigued by current events at the time, our gardener had noticed that many people were turning to permaculture as a response to political and economic challenges.
Driven by the Jardin des Plantes’ mission to raise awareness, Jeff hopes that this garden will encourage the people of Montpellier to reconnect with agriculture and take back control of their food. To that end, he is designing his project around plant varieties that are best suited for our balconies, terraces, and gardens in our region’s Mediterranean climate.
A permaculture garden: what’s that all about?
When we ask Jean-François to explain what a permaculture garden is, he responds on two levels:
- The technical aspect: Permaculture stems from practices shared around the world that focus on observing soil chemistry in order to minimize human intervention in the soil and its structure. The goal is to combine specific plant varieties—primarily perennials—to create symbiotic systems, thereby avoiding the use of chemical inputs such as pesticides or fertilizers.
- The value system: According to Jeff, permaculture is more than just a practice; it is based on a value system aimed at “protecting the earth and people, and sharing the surplus.”
All in all, a permaculture garden is a garden designed with sustainability in mind, based on careful observation of biological ecosystems. Cultivated with respect for nature, the seasons, and people, it allows plants to be grown without the use of chemicals.
The permaculture garden at the Jardin des Plantes: a place of plant diversity, open to the public
Launched in 2020, the permaculture garden can be seen in Plot No. 4 of the School of Systematics at the Jardin des Plantes. Covering an area of nearly 200 m², the garden features more than 250 species of plants, all of which are edible. Among the species grown, Jeff tries to balance so-called “classic” plants with more “unique” ones. You’ll find tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, apples, grapes, and corn, as well as Daubenton cabbage, Rocambolle garlic, stevia, peanuts, and bissap. Edible flowers are also on hand to delight the taste buds of even the most discerning gourmets.
This permaculture garden is tended by Jeff, who also works to introduce it to the people of Montpellier through guided tours between March and November. Jeff takes this opportunity to offer advice on permaculture and share the fruits of his labor by giving visitors some fruits and vegetables to taste when the season allows!
An original project, winner of the 2022 National Vegetable Garden Contest
All of this variety and these educational initiatives have undoubtedly helped make this project one of the winners of the national vegetable garden contest!
After submitting an entry in June in Category 4, “Educational Garden or Plot,” the teams at the Jardin des Plantes hosted the competition judges in September for a two-hour visit, during which the judges asked our gardener a variety of technical questions.
A few weeks later, Jeff was delighted to learn that his garden had been selected as one of the 60 gardens in the competition to receive the Grand Prize for the best educational vegetable garden in France!
Jean-François and Emmanuel Spicq, head gardener at the Jardin des Plantes, received the award during a ceremony held on November 30, 2022, in Paris. A source of great pride for Jeff:
“This is a wonderful surprise. I’m very happy—this project and this competition allow us to step outside our usual scope. It gives us the opportunity to connect with other national institutions and reach out to the wider world. I look forward to exchanging ideas with the other participants and winners to take this project to new horizons!”
More to Come on the Garden's Projects
In addition to putting our garden in the spotlight, this contest is indeed an opportunity to develop new relationships—whether for collaboration or partnership—with other gardeners, gardens, and/or institutions and organizations.
“I hope to gain new insights from these discussions that will help me apply permaculture practices to other projects. After the vegetable garden, I’d like to work with other fellow gardeners at the Jardin des Plantes to explore the possibility of creating a new permaculture plot focused on drought-tolerant plants!” Jeff tells us enthusiastically.
The plot, which has already been identified, will be located on the Dunal Dellile hill, another parcel belonging to the School of Systematics. We therefore wish our teams at the Garden the best of luck with this new project, which may provide an opportunity to enter this competition in a different category!
Practical Information:
- Visit the Jardin des Plantes: self-guided tours are available year-round
- Guided tour of the Permaculture Garden, led by Jeff Fauveau: May through November (growing season). Book your free tour here.
A few weeks after our Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) graduated, it’s now our medical students’ turn to attend their graduation ceremony.
A ceremony traditionally held at the Jardin des Plantes
Traditionally held at the Jardin des Plantes on the third weekend of September, this ceremony gives our students’ loved ones and families the opportunity to (re)discover the school through a private tour of the campus accompanied by our faculty members, before applauding our new graduates!
A rite of passage into postgraduate medical studies
The students attending this ceremony are completing their first two cycles of study (6 years). They are now entering the third cycle and will begin their residency in one of the medical or surgical specialties, either in Montpellier or in other cities.
We wish them all the best in their future careers! Congratulations to everyone!
A few photos
MED 2022 Ceremony -1
Graduates' Speeches
MED 2022 Ceremony -2
The organizers (ANIMN)
MED 2022 Ceremony -3
Visit to the Dean's Office
MED 2022 Ceremony -4
Promotional photo
MED 2022 Ceremony -5
Our professors stroll from the Faculty to the Jardin des Plantes
MED 2022 Ceremony – 6
Guided tour of the Vestiaire Room led by Professor Lavabre
MED 2022 Ceremony -7
A ceremony attended by the university president
MED 2022 Ceremony -8
Every year, the students' families and friends turn out in force!
MED 2022 Ceremony -9
A graduating class has an average of between 200 and 300 students
MED 2022 Ceremony -10
Speech by Dr. Cathala, President of the CDOM
MED 2022 Ceremony -11
Graduates' Speeches
This year, as part of Heritage Days, La Mission Bern, in partnership with the Fondation pour le Patrimoine and the Française des Jeux, will present the Jardins des Plantes team with a check funded by the Loto du Patrimoine! In the afternoon, a program of free guided tours awaits visitors.
The Jardin des Plantes, Selected by the Heritage Lottery
As we learned last March, the Jardin des Plantes was selected by the Mission Patrimoine—a program entrusted to Stéphane Bern by the Ministry of Culture — along with 18 other French sites to receive support from the Loto du Patrimoine. In addition to providing significant national visibility, this program will give the Jardin des Plantes administration a much-needed boost for its renovation, with work expected to begin soon.
To celebrate this occasion, the Jardin des Plantes will welcome a delegation from Mission Patrimoine and La Française des Jeux as part of European Heritage Days. An awards ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. this Saturday, September 17, at the Jardin des Plantes. This ceremony, attended by Mr. Lloberes, FDJ Regional Director for the Southeast; Mr. Pradel, FDJ Area Manager for Hérault Nord Aveyron; and Mr. Genet, Regional Delegate for Occitanie-Méditerranée for the Fondation du Patrimoine, will announce the Mission’s support for the Intendance renovation project.
An afternoon filled with guided tours!
To celebrate Heritage Days, our teams of gardeners and teachers are offering—for once—several guided tours. These tours are free and do not require reservations; they are conducted in small groups of 15 to 20 people. Be sure to arrive a few minutes early to secure a spot. If the weather is nice, a bottle of water and a hat are highly recommended!
See the schedule for the day below.
Note: This year, the Historic Building will not be open to the public due to renovation work.
We've talked about it
- France 3 Occitanie: 2022 Heritage Lottery: The Montpellier Botanical Garden Administration Receives 470,000 euros
- La Gazette de Montpellier: Heritage Lottery: €470,000 to Renovate the Intendance at the Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier
- Metropolitan Area: Montpellier. The Bern Mission presents a check for 470,000 € to the Jardin des Plantes
Every summer, the Jardin des Plantes organizes tours to help the general public learn more about our botanical garden. Check out the summer 2022 program.
Tours for all ages
Open to everyone, 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.”
Practical Information
ADDRESS
Henri IV Boulevard,
34000 Montpellier
The Med’ley association organizes music-related events, including singing contests, concerts in bars, karaoke nights, and blind tests. The student association aims to bring together medical and health science students to satisfy their love of music! For the third time, Med’ley is organizing a concert at the Jardin des Plantes: Don’t miss this event!
Concert at the Jardin des Plantes
For this third edition of the Concert at the Jardin des Plantes, the Med’ley association is organizing a musical event with the primary goal of raising funds for the “RIRE”association.
Supported by Med’ley for the past two years, the organization aims to brighten the days of children in the pediatric ward by bringing in clowns. A concert will therefore be held on July 1, 2022, at the Jardin des Plantes from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
A Special Occasion
This is your chance to be enchanted by the essence of summer and enjoy performances by students from Montpellier who have been practicing and preparing for months for this event.
Snacks and food will be available for purchase to support the RIRE association, and a raffle will be held with a chance to win unique prizes.
We would like to inform our visitors that the garden will be closed on the following dates:
- Thursday, June 23: The garden will reopen at 4 p.m.
- Friday, June 24: The garden will close at 3 p.m.
- Friday, July 1: The garden will close at 5 p.m.
Thank you for your understanding, and we wish you a wonderful summer!
The AD@lY association and the Faculty are honored to welcome His Excellency Mr. DINH Toan Thang, Vietnam’s Ambassador to France, this Tuesday, June 14.
What's on the agenda
For the 19thedition edition of “Rendez-vous aux Jardins,” gardeners and botanists invite you to join them across Europe to explore the theme “Gardens in the Face of Climate Change.” The event, organized by the Ministry of Culture, will take place from Friday, June 3, through Sunday, June 5, 2022. And here’s some good news: Montpellier’s Jardin des Plantes will be participating for two days.
What exactly is “Rendez-vous aux jardins”?
Starting Friday, June 3, nearly 2,200 gardens will open their doors, offering moments of joy and discovery. It’s an opportunity to share with family and friends through a wide range of activities. Throughout the weekend, visitors will be able to interact with experts on nature conservation measures, with the goal of raising awareness about the protection of biodiversity—which is essential to the well-being of all living things. Furthermore, in recent years, thanks to successful European cooperation, many countries have joined the initiative, including Germany, Portugal, Croatia, Italy, Poland, and France. This is an opportunity to discover splendid gardens, such as the Jardin des Plantes at the Montpellier Faculty of Medicine.
And what's it like at the Jardin des Plantes?
The Jardin des Plantes at the Montpellier School of Medicine is opening its doors this year for its 19th annual event. In groups of 25, you’ll explore the Garden’s iconic sites through 14 tours centered on recurring themes such as “Bees and Humans in 2022,” “Aromatic Plants and the Five Senses Plots,” or general tours. All passionate about botany, our five gardener-botanists—who will take on the role of guides for the duration of the weekend—will explain how plants are adapting to climate change in their respective areas of expertise. The goal of these two days is to foster interaction between our gardeners-botanists and the general public, as well as to raise awareness among young people and adults alike about the importance of preserving and promoting the Faculty’s Jardin des Plantes. An iconic landmark of Montpellier, come discover it with fresh eyes. We look forward to seeing many of you there!
2022 Tour Schedule for "RDV aux Jardins"
All tours depart from the municipal guards' station on Boulevard Henri IV.
The maximum number of people per visit is limited to 25.
