Details
Address
Le Potager du Roi – Ecole nationale supérieure de paysage
10 rue du Maréchal-Joffre
FR - 78000 Versaiiles
10 rue du Maréchal-Joffre
FR - 78000 Versaiiles
Telefon: +33-01 39 24 62 62
Email: → a.jacobsohn@ecole-paysage.fr
Webseite: → http://www.potager-du-roi.fr
Dimension
9 ha
Description
Twenty-four gardens were originally spread around the central Grand Square and would shelter espalier-trained fruit trees behind their high walls. Today, the same surface area is covered by twelve gardens, yet the initial concept of a succession of protected rooms, favouring microclimates as well as diversity of exposures remains unchanged. As initially planned by the creater of the garden, Jean Baptiste La Quintinie, the Grand Square of 3 hectares is composed of sixteen smaller squares surrounded by counter-espalier grown pear trees. It contains about fifty species and varieties of vegetables including traditional vegetables and also condiments, gourds, pear-shaped tomatoes, “kilometer” beans, Jerusalem artichokes or ancient vegetables.
The pruning of some 5000 fruit trees requires an extensive number of hours of work to train wall-trees (espaliers) or to fix them on trellises (counter-espaliers, which have replaced La Quintinie’s round-headed trees by the XVIIIth century). Despite the persistent legend, there are no longer any trees planted by La Quintinie in the kitchen garden today. Yet the entire team of gardeners maintains the spirit of his garden by cultivating or reintroducing varieties which he was very fond of, such as the Winter “Bon Chrétien” pear or “Téton de Vénus” peach. The actual shape of the garden has barely changed in three centuries: if the “Figuerie”, “the Melonnière”, “the Prunelaye” and the “Jardin Biais” have disappeared, other plots have replaced them and other crops have appeared.
The pruning of some 5000 fruit trees requires an extensive number of hours of work to train wall-trees (espaliers) or to fix them on trellises (counter-espaliers, which have replaced La Quintinie’s round-headed trees by the XVIIIth century). Despite the persistent legend, there are no longer any trees planted by La Quintinie in the kitchen garden today. Yet the entire team of gardeners maintains the spirit of his garden by cultivating or reintroducing varieties which he was very fond of, such as the Winter “Bon Chrétien” pear or “Téton de Vénus” peach. The actual shape of the garden has barely changed in three centuries: if the “Figuerie”, “the Melonnière”, “the Prunelaye” and the “Jardin Biais” have disappeared, other plots have replaced them and other crops have appeared.
Category
Variety garden
Opening hours
January to March : tuesday to friday, 10 am to 6 pm.
April to October : tuesday to sunday, 10 am to 6 pm, with lecture tours Saturdays, Sundays and holidays at 11:00 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
November and December : tuesday to friday, 10 am to 6 pm and saturday, 10 am to 1 pm
April to October : tuesday to sunday, 10 am to 6 pm, with lecture tours Saturdays, Sundays and holidays at 11:00 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
November and December : tuesday to friday, 10 am to 6 pm and saturday, 10 am to 1 pm
Admission price
4.50€ weekdays and 7€ on weekends and holidays.
Reduced rate: 3€ (students, job seekers, children from 12 to 17).
Free to children under 11.
Groups with lecturer (max. 30 people per Group): 200€ (103€ for schoolchildren).
35€ surcharge for foreign language tour.
Reduced rate: 3€ (students, job seekers, children from 12 to 17).
Free to children under 11.
Groups with lecturer (max. 30 people per Group): 200€ (103€ for schoolchildren).
35€ surcharge for foreign language tour.
Events
The Potager du Roi is host to several events. The two most important are the contemporary dance festival 'Plastique Danse Flore' (4th week-end of September) and the annual harvest festival 'Les Saveurs du Potager du Roi' (first week-end of October).
Infrastructure
Public transportRevision: 12. 04. 2021