Jardin botanique de Marnay sur Seine

The first botanical garden in Champagne-Ardenne, it was founded in 1995 by Didier Rousseau, a collector passionate about studying plants. Today it has about 3000 species of plant arranged by themed routes.

The route starts at the “Chemin de l'évolution” (Evolution path) which traces the story of plants throughout the ages, from the beginning of life on earth to the latest adaptations of plant life.

A multitude of colours and tastes embellish the discovery from the rose garden to the plant pot theatre, via the shade garden. The plant wall, in its turn, is a vertical garden where plants are fed by water trickling down the walls.

The kitchen garden includes old varieties grown in the region since the 18^th century, including vegetables Louis XIV ate, the seeds of which had been miraculously preserved. The borders containing herbs and spices provide the opportunity to smell, touch and taste plants from all over the world.

The tour ends in the conservation garden, a true living dictionary of wild plants growing in the Bassée, an area prone to flooding in the Seine Valley.