American Horticultural Society Trip to Morocco 2023

 

Keith P. Tomlinson, American Gardener Magazine, American Horticultural Society, Spring 2024

The sweeping view from Grand Villa de France hinted at the week to come. Tangier unfolds toward the Mediterranean, the bustling spice market, colonial forts and numerous exquisite gardens beckon. A sense of exploration filled the conversation during our first dinner together, thirteen AHS travelers ready to explore private and public gardens in one of Africa’s most intriguing countries. Date Palms, Birds of Paradise and huge Philodendrons waved in the breeze in the fading sun as the call to prayer rang out at the local mosque. 

Tangier is the gateway for many travelers to Morocco. Steeped in visitors who came and simply stayed. Their homes and gardens tended in the perfect Mediterranean climate flourished. Not just collections of plants, but artifacts, books and art. Among the most fascinating place’s we visited is the home of Italian Writer and Horticulturist Umberto Pasti. Situated on a steep hill above town, the garden features plants from similar climates around the world. Intimate courtyard gardens embrace each building decorated with whale vertebrae and Roman sculptures mixed with traditional Islamic art. 

Later in the day we visited Donabo for lunch, a lovely public garden perched on a high cliff over the Atlantic. A tour with the Director revealed developing collections suited to the inquiring gardener as well as visiting school groups. Donabo embodies the larger vibe in Morocco, a place of hope and progress steeped in a culture unique in the world. 

 

We headed south toward the ancient city of Fez situated among sandstone cliffs outlining a shallow valley. A five-minute walk in narrow passages past laboring donkeys led us to the Riad Fez, an exquisite hotel hidden among the city’s red clay ramparts. The stunning three-story lobby is decorated in impossibly detailed, colorful ceramics. A traditional dinner of Couscous and Lamb was followed by drinks on the rooftop terrace with an expansive view of the city. The next day we visited a busy local garden park as a singing troop entertained delighted children playing among fragrant gardenias and linear fountains. Fez is a center for the arts, Berber carpets, fine leather goods and intricate ceramics of the highest quality abound. 

 

A night in the Capital Rabat allowed for a leisurely dinner and conversation at the beautifully appointed Hassan Palace. Sporting a brand-new skyscraper, Rabat is a city of neatly tended garden parks. Surely among North Africa’s most beautiful cities, it’s a place of celebration and admiration for King Mohammed VI. The next morning, we explored Jardin Exotic just south of town. A forest garden with an impressive aviary, the garden manager and curator provided an intimate tour that tested our various plant identification apps. Both aesthetic and educational, Jardin Exotic fills and important horticultural and botanical niche near the capital city. 

We arrived in Marrakech, perhaps the world’s most famous market city as an enthralling sunset cast an orange glow on snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas. Our final two days featured adventures in the famous Jemaa el-fnaa market, Jardin Majorelle and a visit to the exquisite Le Jardin Secret. Our last evening celebrated the music, wine and antiquity of Marrakech as we marveled at the gardens visited, design inspiration and horticultural treasures of Morocco.