Parc Floral de la Source
Encyclopedia
The Parc Floral de la Source is a French garden situated to the south of the River Loire
, in the La Source neighbourhood
of the town of Orléans
, in the département of Loiret
. 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 by the French Ministry of Culture and the national council of parks and gardens..
Its unique geographical position, between the wooded region of Sologne
and the plains of the Loire Valley
, gives it a particular relief.
At its centre, after an underground course of several miles, is the resurgence
of the Loiret.
With the passing seasons, successive flowering continually renews the appearance of the grounds.
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 garden opened in 1964 as a recreational park as well as a showcase for the horticultural department.
s and oak
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
and Ouessant sheep
garden, the Miroir rose garden, the valley of perennials, the garden of the Source, the exotic butterfly
glasshouse, the kitchen garden and the dahlia
garden. Aviaries exhibit birds from several continents. This area also includes the source of Loiret.
s and rhododendron
s, 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.
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.
motorway (exit 2); via the Route nationale 20
; 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:
The park is closed on 1 January and 25 December..
Loire (river)
The Loire is the longest river in France. With a length of , it drains an area of , which represents more than a fifth of France's land area. It is the 170th longest river in the world...
, in the La Source neighbourhood
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
of the town of Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
, in the département of Loiret
Loiret
Loiret is a department in north-central FranceThe department is named after the river Loiret, a tributary of the Loire. The Loiret is located wholly within the department.- History :...
. 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 by the French Ministry of Culture and the national council of parks and gardens..
Geography
The Parc Floral de la Source extends over 35 ha (86.5 acre). 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
Sologne , a region of north-central France extending over portions of the départements of Loiret, Loir-et-Cher and Cher...
and the plains of the Loire Valley
Loire Valley
The Loire Valley , spanning , is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. Its area comprises approximately . It is referred to as the Cradle of the French Language, and the Garden of France due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and artichoke, asparagus, and...
, gives it a particular relief.
At its centre, after an underground course of several miles, is the resurgence
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
of the Loiret.
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 MicyMicy
Saint-Mesmin de Micy Abbey, sometimes referred to as Micy, was an abbey near Orléans at the confluence of the Loire and the Loiret, located on the territory of today's commune of Saint-Pryvé-Saint-Mesmin. It was founded around 501 AD. The land upon which it was built was granted by Clovis I to...
by Clovis
Clovis I
Clovis Leuthwig was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the leadership from a group of royal chieftains, to rule by kings, ensuring that the kingship was held by his heirs. He was also the first Catholic King to rule over Gaul . He was the son...
. From 1427, it belonged successively to various lords and noble families.
The first great gardening work, in the formal style of French gardens
Garden à la française
The French formal garden, also called jardin à la française, is a style of garden based on symmetry and the principle of imposing order over nature. It reached its apogee in the 17th century with the creation of the Gardens of Versailles, designed for Louis XIV by the landscape architect André Le...
, 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
University of Orléans
-History:In 1230, when for a time the doctors of the University of Paris were scattered, a number of the teachers and disciples took refuge in Orléans; when pope Boniface VIII, in 1298, promulgated the sixth book of the Decretals, he appointed the doctors of Bologna and the doctors of Orléans to...
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 hornbeamHornbeam
Hornbeams are relatively small hardwood trees in the genus Carpinus . Though some botanists grouped them with the hazels and hop-hornbeams in a segregate family, Corylaceae, modern botanists place the hornbeams in the birch subfamily Coryloideae...
s and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
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
Alpaca
An alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance.Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of to above sea level, throughout the year...
and Ouessant sheep
Ouessant (sheep)
The Ouessant is a breed of domestic sheep from the island of Ouessant off the coast of Brittany, France. It is one of the Northern European short-tailed sheep breeds, together with several other types from Great Britain, Scandinavia and Germany. Also occasionally called the Breton Dwarf, it is...
La plaine du Val de Loire
The plain of the Loire valley is given over to floral and horticultural works. It includes the irisIris (plant)
Iris is a genus of 260-300species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...
garden, the Miroir rose garden, the valley of perennials, the garden of the Source, the exotic butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
glasshouse, the kitchen garden and the dahlia
Dahlia
Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, perennial plants native to Mexico, Central America, and Colombia. There are at least 36 species of dahlia, some like D. imperialis up to 10 metres tall. Dahlia hybrids are commonly grown as garden plants...
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 fernFern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s and rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s, 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 A71A71 autoroute
The A71 autoroute is a motorway in central France. It is also called the l'Arverne. It starts at Orléans and ends at Clermont-Ferrand.-Orléans to Bourges:...
motorway (exit 2); via the Route nationale 20
Route nationale 20
The Route nationale 20 is a trunk road 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 with one branch being the Route nationale 22 which leads to Andorra...
; 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 Novembee to 19 March - 14h to 17h.
The park is closed on 1 January and 25 December..