Garden Review

Le Jardin Exotique Roscoff, France

The Jardin Exotique is a short drive from the main ferry port and marina at Roscoff in the Finistère department of Brittany and makes a delightful place in which to while away an hour or two. It receives no public funding and survives on the modest entry fees and sales of plants grown on site. Access to the small sales area is free and worth exploring at the beginning or end of your visit.

To the left of the entrance is a gallery with a changing selection of art and a posh polytunnel displaying plantings of cacti and succulents, such as a nationally recognised collection of Echeveria. The garden itself was the brainchild of Daniel Person and Louis Kerdilès who, in 1986, laid out the pathways that twist around mounds planted with some 3,500 plant species from South Africa, South America, New Zealand and Australia. New species are introduced every year to

Above: A climb to the top of the 18m (60 feet) peak is rewarded by views of the ferry port on one side and a pretty bay on the other. Below: The Jardin Botanique contains fine specimens ofProtea cynaroides (‘giant protea’): the national plant of South Africa. ensure the garden remains fresh, and there’s enough of interest here to warrant visits in the autumn as well as in the warmer months.

Although not especially large at 16,000m² (about 4 acres), the Jardin Exotique is on the register of France’s Conservatoire des Collections Végétales Spécialisées (CCVS), roughly the equivalent of the UK’s ‘Plant Heritage’. This not-for-profit organisation works with private and public bodies to protect plants and preserve biodiversity in the wild and in gardens. The Jardin Exotique is noteworthy for having a CCVS National Collection of Aeonium genus and the Restionaceae family, as well as CCVS Agreed Collections of Kniphofia, Protea and Melianthus.

In addition, the garden holds over a hundred different species of Eucalyptus and well as Amaryllis belladonna, Banksia, Callistemon (bottlebrush), Grevillea, Hakea, Melaleuca and Passiflora, plus assorted tree ferns and palms. The plants are not grouped by continent, but arranged in a way that looks natural and appealing.

Such a fine array of southern hemisphere plants is perhaps an unexpected find on the rugged Breton coast. The garden is located at the edge of a wooded bay on a high point called the Roc’h Hievec, which offers some protection from the easterly winds. In this micro-climate, it is unusual for the temperature to drop below 0°C at the rock itself or -2°C in the rest of the

Left: There are benches thoughtfully placed throughout the garden. From this shelter one can enjoy views of the sea and a splendid Echium pininana.

Below: A goldfish pond with a waterfall is an unexpected sight up a steep hill.

garden. The site receives some 88cm (2ft 9in) of rain annually, most of which fails between October and February.

There are plenty of benches under the trees, which provide welcome shade on a hot day. As there is no cafeteria, make sure you take water if the weather is warm. It is a pleasant place to wander and my companion and I happily spent two hours there, much of which was taken up by admiring the view from the top of the massive granite outcrop at the heart of the garden and reached via a steep staircase. In the main part of the garden we discovered a large pond containing gold fish. Here, the sound of water from waterfalls and fountains adds to the tropical atmosphere. Above: Paths wind around the garden, revealing something of interest at every turn. Above left: Agave Americana is just one of many plants available from the nursery.

Just over half the garden is accessible to wheelchair users; the rest is rather perilous and/or impassable because the paths are narrow, steep or interrupted by lumps of granite or tree roots. Bearing all that in mind, it is still worth a visit. The official recommendation is that visitors in wheelchairs should be accompanied by another person. There is a reduced entry fee of €3 for wheelchair users and no charge for carers.

All in all, this is an interesting and attractive collection that deserves to be better known.

INFORMATION

LE JARDIN EXOTIQUE & BOTANIQUE DE ROSCOFF Lieu-dit Roc'h Hievec 29680 Roscoff France Tel: +33 (0)9 72 99 11 77 www.jardinexotiqueroscoff.com/cms Open daily March to November. (Check website for times.) Closed December to February. Entry €6; concessions apply and season tickets are available. Payment is not accepted by bank or credit card.

AMENITIES

There is free parking near the entrance. The plant sale area is just within the garden and is open to all. Although there are no catering facilities on site, there are perfectly adequate toilets. Given the garden’s location, there is quite a lot of climbing so wear sensible shoes. Two-hour guided tours are available and can be booked at the ticket desk.

VERDICT •

The Jardin Botanique packs a great deal of interest into a comparatively small site. There are panels throughout the garden providing information about the history of the plants in French and English. Anyone passing through Roscoff should make time for a visit.

Left: e boulders that are a feature of this part of Brittany form attractive shady banks where Mesembryanthemum and other South African plants thrive.

All photographs by the author except where indicated.