Quote:
Originally Posted by CambriaWhat
Did they let you in both orchid houses? Last time I went they unlocked the cool orchid house but wouldn't let me in the warm one! I went on two separate days, locked both times!
It will be hard to convince people to save something they're not allowed to see!
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Sorry, I did not see your remark… Sometimes, the access is open when the gardeners are working (in fact, THE gardener, there's only 3 for all the garden and the GH and one is in charge of the orchids amongst other plants.
When they can be around, you can ask access, but it's not always granted, plants have been stolen already.
The best way to access is thru an association, the Serres d'Auteuil are very open to group visits and you have then access to the closed GH. Myself as a member and vice-president of the AFCPO, I can go there regularly as we have most our meetings at the Serres d'Auteuil and a visit to the orchid GH is always on the agenda.
The Serres d'Auteuil participate every year at the exhibition Mille une Orchidée at the Great GH of the MNHN, Jardin des Plantes in Paris.
On the 20th of june, we'll be at the Arboretum of Chêvreloup, which is part of the MNHN (natural history national museum) and where is hidden the essential of the botanic collections of the MNHN.
The French Senate GH (oldest orchid collection in France, 150+ years) are closed too but are open on the patrimony day in september, or thru associations visits in small groups, plus they exhibit regularly at floral and orchid show, last was London EOC 2015 and the new show at Pontpoint, at the Moncel Abbey 2 weeks ago. They also participate to Mille et une Orchidées but one year on, one off, next year should be on.
To get back on the FFT (tennis french federation)/Roland Garros issue, there's been quite some theater shots in the last weeks. I'll try to sum up:
- The environment minister who is the ex partner of the President Hollande (who is for the FFT project) expressed loudly her opinion on the project (against, btw, she lives right next by…) And asked for an evaluation of feasability of the alternative project, which ended up as valid according to her ministry. Plus she proposed other options to include with some work on the buildings to use the nearby stadiums (Jean Bouin, for rugby, and the Parc des Princes, for soccer). As both are either under reflection upon making transformations, even on the newest Jean Bouin (5 years old), it's very interesting. The funny part is that the Parc des Princes stadium takes its name from a park of which the Serres D'auteuil are the only remains!
- the Conseil de Paris (Paris city council) voted a vow on making an independant study to evaluate both projects, the mayor seeing it was to loose her majority took the vow under her name so the majority was still hers, and it passed voted by everyone.
- The EGIS study published was violently criticised as it was clearly driven by biased interests, one of the experts for example was designated by the FFT, so much for independance.
- Yesterday, the Conseil de paris voted 2 vows this time against the mayors will, to reject the FFT project! Lead by the Greens, all the groups voted for save the socialists (mayor's party), as the councellors are fed up to be misinformed by the Mayor, the FFT, and so-called independent studies and finally understood what was at stake. As it's not only the 9 hot GH, but the annexion of 2 classified buildings they don't have the right to use (same architect as the historical GH), and remarkable trees are to be destroyed, some are unique in France or Europe. For years under the pressure of this Roland Garros expansion, the city suppressed gardeners, cultural events and exhibitions to make the garden forgotten and if possible neglected (the gardeners did wonders anyway). They even never include it into the patrimony day visits, or the remarkable garden day visits… Now there's a chance for the extension to be rethought in an intelligent way, saving the garden and the collections.
I'll post when more news will come in.
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