Thursday, June 18, 2009

Pamplemousses Gardens of Mauritius

The Pamplemousses Gardens of Mauritius are the result of almost two hundred and fifty years of tending. The French Governor, Pierre Poivre devoted his life to his interest in botany, and traveled the world collecting the various species that are represented in the Gardens today. Not only are there many different aspects to the gardens that are visually incredible, but there are many historical facts that are interesting to discover as one tours the land.

Throughout the years the Gardens have had various directors, each one contributing to not only the survival and the care, but adding to the variety of plants and animals that exist there. During 1859, the director was James Duncan. When he took the position the gardens had been neglected for almost forty years. It is to his credit that they are back to their original beauty, and to his credit he added many more species, most notable wide variety of palm trees, including the Royal Palm trees which now line the streets of island as well as adorn the walkways of the luxury hotels Mauritius now supports.

There are two specific historical situations that have been affected by the gardens. The first was in the year 1866. The epidemic of Malaria was sweeping the island. The director at the time, introduced Eucalyptus trees, planting thousands of them to be used in marshes, thus drying out the breeding spots of the mosquitoes that were spreading the disease. And then in the middle of the 1900's, the Industry of Sugar that had been developing on the island was further enhanced as many different varieties of cane were introduced and grown on the grounds. Today, there are many beautiful monuments and structures throughout the Pamplemousses Gardens, that honor those who have contributed to it over the years.

There is such a variety in the garden, including the palm trees, the Acajou trees, and some of the largest Swietenia Mahagoni trees, those that produce the coveted red mahogany timber. There are lily ponds and lotus ponds throughout, as well as an entire section devoted to various ferns from around the world. The Fernery also contains a flower garden that is filled with begonias, hibiscus, and orchids . These gardens are a must see when visiting the island of Mauritius, at any time of the year.


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