IPS Biennial 2002
French Riviera
September 20-27, 2002

• Same hotels in Hyères les Palmiers.

• Return to same hotels in Hyères.

• Return to hotels in Hyères les Palmiers

• Return to hotels in Hyères les Palmiers

• Mercure or Ibis Hotels (3-star) or a suitable 2-star hotel in Nice

• Return to hotels in Nice

• Return to hotels in Nice

• Attendees transfer to the Nice airport for either departure for home or for the Post Tour trip to les Jardins du Sud Méditerranéen.

Gardens to be Visited:
IPS Biennial 2002

JARDIN DU RAYOL
(Rayol-Canadel). Former private garden, now overseen by the Coastline Conservancy, it has been largely redesigned by the well-known European landscape architect, Gilles Clement. In this park devoted to Mediterranean plants, Clement has narrowed the perspectives, creating different climatic zones with endemic plants from countries such as Chile, Australia, South Africa and also California. So when it comes to palms one can see native Chamaerops humilis along with introduced Jubaea, Rhopalostylis, etc. The botanist Macquart-Moulin will guide us through this garden ending with an aperitif on the private beach below

PORQUEROLLES
(Island of Porquerolles). The mission of the Conservancy is to preserve all the historic varieties of Mediterranean fruit, including, of course, the date palm. In the 1980's, the USA decided to end in-vitro date palm culture, France, with its experience with North African oases, bought the US Phoenix dactylifera collection. France couldn't have found a better place to plant this collection. Mr. Boillot, botanist for the conservancy, will accompany us here.

JARDIN DES PALMIERS
(Island of Porquerolles). To finalize the last real estate development to be authorized on the island, the promoter included, as an integral part of his project, a garden of over 2 acres, devoted to a collection of palms and cycads. A small building, La Maison du Palmier (Palm House), is planned to house the library of Fous de Palmiers. In this garden we will plant together the Biennial 2002 Palm to commemorate the event.

JARDIN OLBIUS RIQUIER
(Hyères les Palmiers). Created during the nineteenth century by Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, at the time Director of the Jardin d'Acclimatation of Paris, this garden was the site of a large number of plant introductions. More than a century later many beautiful specimens of palms, agaves and Australian plants continue to flourish here. The city of Hyères has made an important effort, currently underway, to plant rare species and, in a few years, the rich collection of bygone days will be renewed. Pierre Quillier, botanist for the city, will escort us through this garden.

JARDIN DES OISEAUX (TROPICAL BIRD GARDEN )
(La Londe les Maures). The garden was created in 1989 on the site of the former arboretum in La Londe Les Maures. Its fifteen acres host remarkable flora, consisting of many different species of Eucalyptus and tropical plants. The collection is unique because of the rarity of the birds on view for the public. As an ornithological and botanical garden, this park plays an important role as an acclimatization and reproduction center and it maintains exceptional genetic stock. The garden participates in a number of international breeding programs and contributes to the protection of endangered species. It is a veritable bird paradise. Both Dupuyoo, father and son, will be happy to share their passion with us.

JARDIN EXOTIQUE DE MONACO
The foremost cactus and succulent collection on the Riviera, perched on cliffs high above the city of Monte Carlo and the Mediterranean.

PROMENADE DES ANGLAIS ABD PARC DE L'INDOCHINE
(Nice). The Parc de l'Indochine on Fabron Avenue is the work of landscape architect Octave Godard (1877-1958) executed for Mr. de Grimaldi. The southern portion has gigantic exotics as well as row plantings of palms. The famous Promenade des Anglais borders the Baie des Anges (Bay of Angels), a symbol of the city of Nice. The waterfront is lined with exotic vegetation, testimony to the mild climate of the Côte d'Azur.

PARC PHOENIX
(Nice). Created in 1989, this floral park covers over 18 acres at the western entrance to the city of Nice, near the airport. It is a garden of many facets: aquatic with the lake, Alpine rapids and fountains, floral with the garden of colors, and aromatic with gardens of herbs and roses. There is also a large display house complete with a waterfall and areas of varied climates, planted with an extensive collection of tropical vegetation.

LA CROISETTE
(Cannes) This public park lines the seashore between the municipal casino to the west and the summer casino to the east. The promenade overlooks the sandy beach and Bay of Cannes and the Lerins Islands. Cannes is, of course, the home of the world famous Film Festival. The exotic vegetation, dominated by palms, indicates its mild climate.

JARDIN BOTANIQUE OF THE VILLA THURET
(Antibes). Designed in the style of the Second Empire, this garden was created by the botanist Gustav Thuret (1817-1875) and enriched by his successor, Charles Naudin (1815-1899). It covers about nine acres and contains more than 3,000 species of woody plants from both tropical and warm temperate zones. Since 1855 more than 60,000 species or varieties have been tested. The garden currently maintains important collections of palms, cycads, Eucalyptus and Pittosporum, to name just a few. Curator Catherine Ducatillion will be our guide.

JARDIN BOTANIQUE OF THE VILLA LES CEDRES
(Saint Jean-Cap Ferrat). Designed during the nineteenth century by the landscape architects, Frenchman Jules Vacherot and Englishman Harold Peto, for King Leopold II of Belgium, this private garden, covering more than 30 acres, faces the Alpine foothills to the north and is bordered by the sea to the east and west, giving it a tropical micro-climate. Beginning in 1922, and thanks to the passion of a family of collectors, the garden has been enriched with succulents, epiphytes, tree ferns and palms; it is surely the largest and finest collection of palms and cycads of the Riviera. Fous President and IPS Director Jacques Deleuze will oversee our visit.

PIAN
(Menton). Former property of the Feraldo de Castro family, this 8-acre park is a vast olive grove, with 400 trees several hundred years old planted in terraces, overlooking the Bay of Menton. It is a vestige of groves that once lined the entire coastline.

MARIA SERENA
(Menton). The villa was built for Ferdinand de Lesseps, builder of the Suez Canal, by an architect from the school of Charles Garner on a 5-acre site. The palm garden is situated above the lower corniche, adjacent to the French-Italian border. The home and its walkways are surrounded by subtropical plantings, primarily palms and cycads. The Director of the City Parks Department will answer our questions while guiding us.

JARDIN BOTANIQUE EXOTIQUE OF VAL RAHMEH
(Menton). Property of the French Natural History Museum, the garden assembles plants from Mediterranean climates, both warm and temperate. Garavan's mild microclimate permits the acclimation of numerous species, including tree ferns. There is a beautiful avenue lined with palms and, in the wild garden, a fountain designed by landscape architect Humphrey Waterfield (1908-1971).

GENERAL INFORMATION
Post Tour for IPS Biennial 2002
Les Jardins du Sud Méditerranéen,
September 27 - October 5, 2002
Hosted and Arranged by Fous de Palmiers
Registration deadline August 18, 2002

General Information: The Post Tour is being sponsored by the local IPS Affiliated Society, Fous de Palmiers. Visits will include public and private botanical gardens, Association members' gardens and some local palm business concerns. We will be visiting the Southern Mediterranean coast, a famous vacation spot.

Dates, Post Tour: The Post Tour will begin on Friday, September 27th in Nice (at the completion of the IPS Biennial). It will end on October 5th, also at the Nice airport.
Cost of the Post Tour: The Post Tour is priced all inclusive (except perhaps for wine you drink). Registration Fee is:
*€ 1800.00 per person, double occupancy,
*€ 3600.00 per person, single occupancy, If you require single occupancy, you must pay for the entire room.

The registration fees above include accommodations, meals, internal land and air transportation as described in the Post Tour itinerary, as well as Society activities described in the itinerary.
Post Tour Hotels: The itinerary below provides some basic information on Post Tour hotels, but specific contact information on each of the hotels will be mailed to attendees with their registration packets.
Post Tour Partial Registration: Partial registration is not available. If attendees arrive late or depart early, no discount is offered.

Post Tour Itinerary

Friday, September 27
At about 7:30 p.m., we fly out of Nice to Alicante, arriving at 11:30 p.m.. We then transfer to the hotel in Elche, about 20 minutes from the airport.
*We spend our first night in Spain at the Hotel Huerto del Cura in Elche.
Saturday, September 28
After breakfast in our hotel we visit the ancient palm grove of Elche, accompanied by F. P. Melendez, Director of the City Parks Department.
*Breakfast at hotel
*Depart at 9 a.m. for a visit to the palm site El Hondo south of Elche where traditional methods are used to work on date palm.
*Lunch at the Parc Municipal d'Elche (or at Huerto del Cura) and welcome by the Mayor of Elche.
*Explore the Parc Municipal d'Elche with the Technical Director
*Visit to the European Phoenix Research Station
*Late afternoon visit to the Botanical Garden Huerto del Cura (near the hotel)
*A presentation by Santiago Orts, "Palms of Elche, our human heritage"
*Dinner at the hotel Huerto del Cura in the restaurant Els Capellans.
Sunday, September 29
*Day excursion south to Cartagena's Calblanque Natural Park (and discussion on the native Chamærops humilis by Tomás Font, the President of the Spanish Palm Society.)
*Visit Chamærops humilis in its mountain and seaside habitats (with a professor from the University of Murcie).
*Lunch at Cap de Palos and walk to Mar Menor where you'll may swim or sunbathe
*We return to Elche for our evening flight (9:45 p.m. departure) from Alicante to Malaga via Madrid.
*Arrive at the Malaga airport and transfer to the hotel Parador Gibralfaro for the night (very late arrival).

Monday, September 30
*Breakfast at the hotel (a magnificent site dominating all of Malaga, between l'Alcazar and the Castle of Gibralfaro.
*Depart for the nearby Parc de la Concepcion, with a tour of this magnificent tropical park, guided by the Director.
*Leave for Marbella, where we will visit Gunther Brütt's interesting collection of palms and other exotic plants. Lunch (picnic, barbecue) will be served at Gunther's place. There will be adequate time to tour the garden and take a swim in the pool.
*Leave at 4:30 p.m., for visits across Malaga, traversing the Alameda Park.
*Visit the Gardens of the Alcazar and of Gibralfaro Castle.
*Cocktails and tasting of the wines of Malaga on the terraces of the Hotel Gibralfaro.
*Dinner at Gibralfaro and night in the hotel.

Tuesday, October 1
*An early morning departure from Malaga to Rome via Barcelona, with noontime arrival.
*Transfer to the hotel and lunch at the hotel.
*After lunch we will visit the Jardin Botanique and the Villa Doria Pamphili and take a tour of the city.
*Dinner and a visit of Rome by night.
*Rome hotel.

Wednesday, October 2
*Leave at 8:30 a.m. for Palermo
*Visit Jardin Puccio, Villa Malfitano and Jardin Botanique; lunch and a tour of the city.
*Leave for Naples at 7:25 p.m.
*Transfer to the Naples hotel, with dinner at the hotel.

Thursday, October 3
*Visit the Botanic Garden
*Visit Pompeii
*Lunch and sightseeing along the Amalfi Coast (Côte Amalfitaine).
*Naples hotel.

Friday, October 4
*Depart for Nice at 7:15 a.m. in the morning, arriving about 8:40 a.m., then depart by bus for Sanremo
*Visit the famous Hanbury Gardens.
*Visit several wonderful palm gardens in Sanremo, just beyond the French- Italian border on the Italian Riviera.
*Farewell dinner at the Casino of Sanremo.
*Return to the hotel in Nice for the evening.

Saturday, October 5
*End of the biennial post tour. Participants depart for destinations of their choice.

Gardens to be Visited
IPS Post-Biennial Tour 2002
Les Jardins du Sud Méditerranéen
September 27 - October 4

THE PALM GROVE OF ELCHE (Alicante)
One of two major palm groves of Europe (along with Bordighera in Italy) it was probably first established by Arabs centuries ago and has been renovated in recent times by the city of Elche. This oasis is truly exceptional for both the luxuriant growth and the density of date palms (Phoenix dactylifera). It is the center for production of bleached fronds for Palm Sunday and Passover celebrations.

HUERTO DEL CURA
(Elche). A private collection of palms planted by a dynasty of nurserymen, it includes practically every species that can be grown at this latitude. The gardens are supported by the world-famous nursery of the same name, Huerto del Cura. The collection includes an exceptional and rare Phoenix dactylifera with eight crowns.

CONCEPCION GARDEN
(Malaga). Already an extensive botanical garden in the nineteenth century, this garden features palms that can be acclimated at this latitude. It is surely the largest collection of adult specimens of palms in Europe and includes almost 60 different species. The Managing Director is the author of the book in Spanish, Palmeras.

PALERMO GARDENS
(Sicily). In the Puccio Garden, we will see palms that have never been tested elsewhere in Italy and, in some cases, anywhere else in Europe. The Whitaker Foundation has assembled a remarkable collection of rare palms in the garden of the Villa Malfitano. The botanical garden has recently created a new palmetum with numerous interesting species.

NAPLES BOTANICAL GARDEN
(Naples). This garden is renowned by three notable collections, palms, tree ferns and, most important, cycads. The garden was started in the nineteenth century and since then has been constantly expanded and renewed. Without a doubt, the cycad collection is the most prestigious in Europe.

ROME BOTANICAL GARDEN
(Rome). A few years ago this garden was the subject of an article in Principes. Here we will see remarkable trees, including rare palms like Nannorrhops ritchiana and Trachycarpus takil grown from seed collected by Beccari, the famed Italian palm botanist.

VILLA DORIA PAMPHILI
(Rome). The ultimate Jardin à l'Italienne.

JARDIN HANBURY
(Vintimiglia). This vast garden in a magical spot on a hillside overlooking the sea was created in 1867 by the Hanbury brothers. It is a garden of plants of fascinating forms acclimated in an exceptionally warm location. Even in winter the garden is filled with rich colors.

VILLA ORMOND
(Sanremo, Italian Riviera) This beautiful park dates from 1889. It is a vast green oasis full of exotic vegetation, dominated by architectural elements including a villa and an ancient fountain. A remarkable collection of palms, including a splendid Trithrinax campestris, is grouped together in the Palmetum.

PARC MARSAGLIA
(Sanremo, Italian Riviera) The garden is all that remains of the splendid Villa Marsaglia following its demolition after the Second World War. It is one of the most interesting gardens of the city, thanks to the multitude of exotic species found here. The park is an integral part of the green spaces shared by neighboring hotels.