The Parc Floral de la Source is a French garden situated to the south of the
River Loire
The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...
, in the
La Source neighbourhood
A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; American and British English spelling differences, see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community ...
of the town of
Orléans
Orléans (;["Orleans"](_blank)
(US) and [département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...]
'' of
Loiret
Loiret (; ) is a department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of north-central France. It takes its name from the river Loiret, which is contained wholly within the department. In 2019, Loiret had a population of 680,434.[< ...]
. With more than visitors in 2007, it is the most visited site in Loiret.
The source of the
Loiret river is at the centre of the park.
The park has been awarded the status of ''
Jardin remarquable
The Remarkable Gardens of France is intended to be a list and description, by region, of the more than three hundred gardens classified as ''"Jardins remarquables"'' by the Ministry of Culture and the Comité des Parcs et Jardins de Fr ...
'' by the
French Ministry of Culture
The Ministry of Culture (french: Ministère de la Culture) is the ministry of the Government of France in charge of national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and protection of the arts (visua ...
and the national council of parks and gardens.
Geography
The Parc Floral de la Source extends over . It uses the natural contours of the site and consists of open spaces where the flora, fauna and minerals are juxtaposed.
Its unique geographical position, between the wooded region of
Sologne
Sologne (; ) is a natural region in Centre-Val de Loire, France, extending over portions of the departements of Loiret, Loir-et-Cher and Cher. Its area is about . To its north is the river Loire, to its south the river Cher, while the distr ...
and the plains of the
Loire Valley, gives it a particular relief.
At its centre, after an underground course of several miles, is the ''Bouillon'': the
resurgence of the
Loiret river.
With the passing seasons, successive flowering continually renews the appearance of the grounds.
History
In 510, the land was ceded to the monks of the
Abbey Saint-Mesmin de Micy by
Clovis. From 1427, it belonged successively to various lords and noble families.
The first great gardening work, in the formal style of
French gardens, dates from the beginning of the 18th century. During the 1720s, an ice-house, a library gallery, bas-reliefs and a terrace were incorporated into the garden.
In 1959, the city of Orléans and the ''département'' acquired the 410 hectares of the estate; 35 hectares were reserved to create the park, the rest being used to create the quarter of La Source as a site for the
University of Orléans
The University of Orléans (french: Université d'Orléans) is a French university, in the Academy of Orléans and Tours. As of July 2015 it is a member of the regional university association Leonardo da Vinci consolidated University.
History
...
.
The garden opened in 1964 as a recreational park as well as a showcase for the horticultural department.
Organisation of the park
The Parc Floral consists of two main parts: the ''plateau de Sologne'' and the ''plaine du
Val de Loire''.
Plateau de Sologne
The plateau is covered by a semi-natural forest of
hornbeam
Hornbeams are hardwood trees in the flowering plant genus ''Carpinus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The 30–40 species occur across much of the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Origin of names
The common English name ''hornbeam ...
s and
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
s. It is joined to the plain by a hillside which corresponds to a former fluvial terrace of the Loire. Located on the plateau are animal enclosures for a variety of species, including
alpaca
The alpaca (''Lama pacos'') is a species of South American camelid mammal. It is similar to, and often confused with, the llama. However, alpacas are often noticeably smaller than llamas. The two animals are closely related and can success ...
and
Ouessant sheep.
La plaine du Val de Loire
The plain of the Loire valley is given over to floral and horticultural works. It includes the
iris
Iris most often refers to:
*Iris (anatomy), part of the eye
*Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess
* ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants
* Iris (color), an ambiguous color term
Iris or IRIS may also refer to:
Arts and media
Fictional ent ...
garden, the Miroir rose garden, the valley of perennials, the garden of the Source, the exotic
butterfly
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprise ...
glasshouse, the kitchen garden and the
dahlia
Dahlia (, ) is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. A member of the Asteraceae (former name: Compositae) family of dicotyledonous plants, its garden relatives thus include the sunflower, ...
garden. Aviaries exhibit birds from several continents. This area also includes the source of Loiret.
The gardens and its collections
The park has several gardens including collections of
fern
A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes exce ...
s and
rhododendrons, a rose garden, tropical gardens, rockery and flowering grasses.
The iris garden collection includes about 900 varieties, classified since 1996 as a specialist national collection.
A children's playground is available and a "train" tours the site.
Exhibitions
In 1967, the ''Floralies internationales d'Orléans'' attracted visitors in six months. The global budget was more than one million francs. From April to October 1967, Orléans became the world capital of horticulture: 330 exhibitors, 700 producers from 11 countries, m² of glasshouses specially constructed to house successive exhibitions on 35 hectares. Apart from horticulture, the ''Floralies'' included several attractions including a reconstruction of a Gaulois village, thus destroying an ancient temple.
Other exhibitions : in 1996, ''voyage en chrysanthèmes'' and ''la ronde des fougères''; in 1998, ''la fête de l'iris''; in 1999, ''jardins du monde'' (30th salon of the chrysanthemum) and the ''international salon of the dahlia and fruits of autumn''; in 2000, '' bulbs in flower''; in 2001, ''le parc de tous les enchantements'' et ''le monde des nains-ventés''; in 2003, ''chrysanthèmes recup’art''; in 2006, ''festival of exotic birds'' and ''orchids''; in 2007, le festival de l'iris.
Access
The park can be reached from the
A71 motorway (exit 2); via the
Route nationale 20
The Route nationale 20 (N20) is a trunk road ( nationale) between Paris and the frontier with Spain heading south through the heart of France and passing through the Cathedral City of Orléans and Toulouse. The road forks at ''Col de Puymorens'' ...
; by train (nearest stations Aubrais or Orléans); by line A of the Orléans tramway or line 20 of the Semtao bus network. Lines 3, 5, 7 and 8 of the
Ulys bus network serve Orléans-la-Source.
Admission to the park costs 6 € for an adult, 4 € for a child between 6 and 16 years, free for those under 6. Ticket office close an hour before the close of the park. Season tickets and group rates are available.
Opening times vary with the seasons. In 2009:
:20 March to 4 October - 10h to 19h
:5 October to 11 November - 10h to 18h
:12 November to 19 March - 14h to 17h.
The park is closed on 1 January and 25 December.
Bibliography
* ''Le parc floral de la Source'', May 2006, Rustica
* Anne-Marie Royer-Pantin ''Orléans, le temps des jardins'' 2005, Hesse
External links
*
Official website of the Parc Floral de la Source*
The Parc floral de la Source on the site of the Conseil général du Loiret
Maps and satellite views
* - Plans et vues satellites du parc floral de la Source
[Source : Google Earth]
Notes and references
Based on the article in French Wikipedia, ''
Parc Floral de la Saource''
{{reflist
La Source, Parc Floral de
La Source, Parc Floral de