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From Parks to gardens... |
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THE GARDEN OF APOTHECARIES |
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| Nantes
has its first garden, tells "the apothecaries",
to its maritime vocation. One made there grow medicinal
plants destined for prepare medicines of surgeon chests
of the numerous sailboats of the port. It welcomed also
new plant brought by navigators and shipowners of Nantes.
Thus, it is in Nantes where disembarked for the first
time in France, plants as the famous magnolias. The history has presided over the
birth of gardens of Nantes but more again to the
horticultural vocation of the region, endowed with
gardeners of talent, a temperate climate and fertile
earth. Nantes is also a point of geographical relief
convergence, valleys and ways of water to the ocean. With
their banks more or less wooded, Loire, Erdre, Sèvre,
Chézine, Cens and Gesvres are so much" penetrating
green "that have allowed to create gardens and parks
in the city. In the XVII and XVIII centuries, many
properties have been fitted by the rich shipowners and
merchants. Always deprived or become public, they are
again today islets of greenery. Successive mayors of
Nantes have well contributed to endow the city of an
identity" green ". They have known to acquire,
receive in donation or to recuperate important areas of
the period. In forty years, the town planning has been
completely refitted: arms of the Loire have been
fulfillled, the Erdre diverted, the housing sometimes
destroyed by the war, the island Feydeau and the course
of the "50 otages" fitted. The park of the
Chantrerie and the magnificent and deconcerting island of
Versailles are the two last realizations delivered to the
public. The people of Nantes, believers to their history,
have become expert purposes as testifies the immense
success achieved by the international floralies. |
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