The Jardin d’Essais is a Botanic Garden next door to an Institute of Agriculture, and was originally intended as an experimental garden for the Institute. It has been extensively renovated in recent years, and is now a Botanic Garden. I was there in early March, when it was unfortunately not looking its best.

This is the main entrance on quite a wide avenue. The site is split diagonally in two parts by the road, and is some way out from the city centre.  The area to the right side of the road is divided in 12 sections, each for a different climate and soil combination. The area to the left side of the road is less structured and includes a small exhibition on the importance of water and an educational building as well as the nursery areas and demonstration gardens and trees.

The renovation of the garden seems to be still a work in progress, and there were several gardeners in evidence. It is quite well used as a public park. Signage is very poor throughout the gardens.

I will start with the the area to the left of the road.

At this time of year there was not much colour to be seen, but this is typical of many paths. The debris on the ground is not leaves, but flakes from the trunks of the palm trees lining the path.

You will no doubt be wondering why I have chosen to include such an uninteresting photo. Close inspection shows that the greenery edging the path are spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) which I have only ever seen before as one of the easiest house plants to grow. In Morocco it is used quite widely as an edging plant and seems to work well.

Part of the Andalusian Garden. Like all the other water features, the water level was low. Perhaps they are only filled in the summer.

A rather neglected wisteria archway

Now across the road to the part of the garden that has had most of the recent work.

An agave in an area for plants liking hot dry conditions

Part of the extensive collection of palms

Plants for a hot dry bank, including Mesembryanthemums

Another house plant as I have never seen it before – Strelitzia

The orchard seems to have been planted in the last few years, as all the trees are quite small

It will be a while before this pomegranate tree has a significant crop

Coming up to date, Morocco continues to increase the severity of the lockdown. Anyone going outside their house now has to wear a face mask at all times, and attempts are being made to reduce the number of times anyone leaves their home.

Bread is a staple of this family’s diet as they use it instead of cutlery to eat most meals, and it is often a main component of breakfast as well. Since the lockdown began, Assia has been baking all that we eat, using wholemeal flour with added wheat bran. Flour is readily available in 25 Kg sacks. She only has a stand alone electric oven, and bakes round flattish loaves.

In the Medina there are several public bakehouses, the nearest being about a 4 minute walk away. About once a week she prepares a batch of brioches or biscuits and one of the men is despatched with a large tray to the public bakehouse.

32 brioches sprinkled with sesame seeds ready for the oven

When she thinks they will be ready, he is sent to take them out of the oven.

The baked brioches

With 10 people in the house 32 brioches don’t last long.

As breakfast now starts after 9 am. I am doing some exercises on the roof before breakfast.

The view is not great, but it is extensive. On the skyline at the extreme top right you can see the top half of the Hassan Tower, which will feature in my post next week. Whenever they can afford it, the locals just continue to build upwards, without any thought of what it looks like from the outside.

Whilst on the roof usually the only birds to be seen are a few sparrows, seagulls and pigeons. Today I saw quite a lot of swallows for the first time. They do not stay here, but are on their way to northern Europe for the summer, so some should arrive in the UK  in the next few weeks. Hopefully with Spain in lockdown, they will be at less risk of being shot for food as they fly though the high passes this year.

Keep safe.