TERRA BOTANICA, FROM A TOURIST POINT OF VIEW

By:  Seraphine Mbanefo Nwankwo

It was a pleasant Tuesday morning, with glittering sun rays from the sky. The summer was not hot after all, a bit of cool breeze could be felt now and again. The sky did not burst into tears as it is known to do once in awhile during this season. The weather was so adorable, no wonder the excitement that shown on our faces as we marched one after the other into the tourist bus that took us to TERRA BOTANICA, in Angers, a park simply known as a plant world chiefly for its vast range of vegetations drawn from six different continents.

The six continents of Africa, America (North and South America), Asia, Antarctica, Australia and Europe were richly represented by the vast vegetations proudly sampled within the walls of the park.

Let us examine a bit of history surrounding Terra Botanica. Terra Botanica was opened in April 2010 in the heart of the Anjou region (also Angers, in France). It is a plant world measuring not less than 110,000 sq. m of gardens, aquatic areas and greenhouses, laced with exactly 40 attractions and presentations. The park offers a multidimensional experience of plant life taken from all the above listed continents. This huge project cost €94 million and it took 10 years to conceive and design. However, it was eventually built within 2 years after the idea was conceived. It has 367 exceptional trees, 5,500 tropical trees and bushes, 510 rosebushes and 520 climbing plants. A tourist visiting for the first time will be amazed at the unique world he or she is served with, within the walls of this park.

It is such an exotic initiative which provides the public a rare opportunity to view the plant world from every perspective, such as the historical angle, geographical front, economic relevance or value, very symbolical too, as well as its scientific and aesthetic angle. What more, all these are well appreciated in a variety of ways, within a common location.

But why is this park located in Anjou region?

The answer is very simple; Anjou is a leading horticultural region in France. The entire space of the Anjou region is blessed with large nurseries, agricultural and horticultural businesses as well as a location where very serious research work takes place. It also houses the foremost training centers. Anjou is the leading European producer of hydrangeas and the leading French producer of medicinal plants, apples, cucumbers, dahlias and more.

It is simply logical to build a theme park of this magnitude so that it would benefit directly from the numerous earlier mentioned strength of the region. The capital of the region, Angers, has a track record of awards for best floral city year after year.

Travelling across space, time and the senses, this plant world, Terra Botanica constantly intertwines with nature itself and a refreshing ambiance of the real world. Yearly, the park is given such face lift that displays the various aspects of vegetation each season.

Terra Botanica is so well organised that a visitor could see through the four key areas of focus, to appreciate the various aspects of amazingly varied world of plants and water. These four key areas of focus notably in French are; ‘Le Végétal Généreux (friendly vegetation or generous vegetation; these are such plants that are not dangerous to animals, other plants nor even human beings; not acidic basically). ’Le Végétal Convoité (coveted vegetation or plant), The 'Coveted' plants section as a matter of fact features the plants our forefathers sought out for their medicinal properties and rarity. In this same area where the ‘coveted’ plants are found, one is opportuned to watch the film about the 18th-century Atlantic crossing to Venezuela of naturalist and explorer, Alexander Von Humbolt.

I enjoyed such excitement in the theme park, like the ride in a boat and pedaling a walnut over the tops of the trees overlooking the vast plantation below.

‘Le Végétal Apprivoisé (Vegetation that are not wild, they often radiate in rare beauty, used for fanciful irrigation purposes) and lastly, there is the ‘Le Végétal Mystérieux (these are vegetation known to be monsterous, sometimes believed to be interactive in nature; that is has the ability to actually talk and see. Example of such Mysterious plants is one called the Monster plant (l’ogre vegetal in French). This monsterous plant is also believed to be extremely carnivorous in nature with its labyrinth and eyes areas.

Also at the ‘Mysterious’ plants area, there is a 4D cinema ‘Bamboo Express- Nouveauté 2012’ a new dimension just added in 2012  that takes one through a journey to the heart of breathtaking lush.

One could also see greenhouses displaying strange green plants wrapped up in steam. There are beautiful walks over bridges also displaying clear cut nuances between cultivated rice fields and landscapes untouched by Man, a vegetable garden and rare plants you would not see in your back garden.

Notably are certain plants tagged ‘la serre abandonnée’ which literally translates abandoned greenhouse. Here, you would observe a world abandoned by man now recovered by plants.

It is with great interest to note that at Terra Botanica, there are wild and tame plants, just as in the world of animals, and these plants of such characteristics are drawn from the six continents of the world.