The Plants

View of the Hôtel Biron garden Photo : J. Manoukian

---

THE GARDEN OF ORPHEUS

Sculpture : Orpheus Imploring the Gods

Rodin portrayed Orpheus when, having appeased the infernal powers with the music of his lyre and knowing the condition imposed by the return of Eurydice, he stops exhausted by his long walk and by the memory of what he has endured. He will lose Eurydice again but does not know it yet; the intoxication and hope of seeing her has eased the long tension caused by uncertainty and suffering. His left hand holds his lyre while his right hand is stretched out in an imploring gesture. The work expresses drama but not despair.

and its garden setting

The sculpture seems to spring out of the ground and the rock. Ivy, the plant of Bacchus, spreads insidiously to cover everything. Poisonous plants shoot up, aconite (or Minerva's Helmet), the contorted myrsinaceous euphorbia, and hellebore, while holly twists its sharp leaves. Further back, behind Orpheus, stands the laurel tree of Apollo, like a protective presence, and on the other bank a few plants typical of the Mediterranean scrubland, jasmine box (PHILLYREA media), daphne (DAPHNE cneorum, D. diuriuscula) and thyme (THYMUS lanuginosus). The path plunges through the rock, offering perfect views of the sculpture. Beyond, Orpheus, the minstrel and magician of nature, commands the springs and spreads his power and charm over the entire garden. Equipped with these clues, visitors can piece together the threads of the story on their own.


Walking away from Orpheus, the vegetation becomes more serene in the eastern parterre, ending in a round ornamental pool, symmetrical to the one in the western parterre. The large pots of flowers on the steps give a peaceful impression, almost Mediterranean in character. Clumps of peonies in different shades of pink and red surround the pool.

View of the Hôtel Biron Garden Photo : J. Manoukian

A path winds through clumps of bushes up to the springs. Each source of water is surrounded by different plants typical of humid areas but all have fern and moss to conceal the rims of the ponds. Each spring is a kind of "garden", in the sense sometimes given in nature, especially mountains, to those rocky hollows or minute spaces where a few plants grow. Six water springs mark out the itinerary, starting from "the least natural to the most natural".

View of the Hôtel Biron garden Photo : J. Manoukian

The Round Ornamental Pool

The concentric steps encircling the ornamental pool are decorated with terra-cotta pots of annual plants. Planted around the pool, against clumps of bushes, are shrub-like white peonies: P. Gengioraku, P. Lactea, P. Ohkina Jishi, P. Renkaku.

Spring of the Astilbes

Purple or white astilbes with jagged leaves (ASTILBE Van der Veelen, A. Mont-Blanc) flourish around this spring. A few meadow sweets (FILIPENDULA vulgaris), as well as big white valerian (VALERIANA officinalis alba) form the background.

Spring of the Hemerocallis

The hemerocallis, with yellow or orange flowers, look like lilies and have a less polished aspect than the astilbe. They form the setting for a carpet of perennial geraniums (GERANIUM sanguineum, G. platypetalum) in the midst of which stand woodrush (LUZULA sylvatica). A few flowering rushes in the spring (BUTOMUS umbellatus) and a cluster of valerian link this scene with the preceding one.

Spring of the Ferns

Several types and species, some very tall like the lady fern (ATHYRIUM Filix femina) others shorter (POLYSTICHUM makinoti, P. polyblepharum, P. setiferum, P. congestum, P. herrenhausen, P. proliferum, P. striptera and DRYOPTERIS erythrosora) frame an expanse of alchemilla (ALCHEMILLA vulgaris, A. alpina) among which grow European globe flowers (TROLLIUS europaeus) in golden yellow, and denticulated primroses (PRIMULA denticulata) in pale purple. In the spring, water flags (Iris pseudacorus) announce the following scene.

Spring of the Irises

Japanese irises (IRIS Kaempferi) and water flags (IRIS pseudacorus) form a compact mass, even flowing into the pond next to the marsh marigolds (CALTHA palustris). In the forefront, a few clumps of woodrush (LUZULA sylvatica) with ribbon leaves emerge from a huge carpet of periwinkles (VINCA major).

Spring of the Butterburs

This large-leafed plant (PETASITES japonicus and P. frangrans) is also known, in the case of the latter, as winter heliotrope, and is commonly found around stretches of water. Together with bamboo (PLEIOBLASTUS fortunei variegatus, P. viridistriatus auricoma, P. viridistriacus vagans), it forms a plant setting for forget-me-nots (MYOSOTIS palustris) with tender blue flowers, knotgrass (POLYGONUM affine) with pink spikes, and splashes of fern (POLYSTICHUM div., DRYOPTERIS tokyoensis, PHYLITTIS undulata, ATHYRIUM distentifolium). Flowering rushes (BUTOMUS umbellatus) grow in the pond.

The various species: Deciduous bushes treated as ground cover - Ceanothus X delinianus "Henri Desfosse" - Deutzia carminea rosea - Exochorda macrantha "The Bride" - Forsythia "Marée d'Or" - Hydrangea macrophylla "Annabelle" - Hydrangea macrophylla "Blue Wave" - Hydrangea paniculata "Unique" - Hydrangea preziosa - Hydrangea quercifolia "Snowflake" - Hydrangea serrata "Blue Bird" - Hydrangea serrata "Nikko Blue" - Potentilla fruticosa "Abbotswood" Evergreen bushes treated as ground cover - Ceanothus thyrsiflows "Cascade" - Hedera colchica arborescens - Osmarea burkwoodi - Saracocca humilis Perennial plants treated as ground cover for clumps - Hedera helix "Thorndale" - Vinca minor Tall deciduous bushes - Cornus florida "Rubra" - Cornus Kousa - Daphne arbuscula - Daphne cneorum - Hamamelis mollis - Magnolia kobus "Stellata" - Viburnum fragrans - Viburnum plicatum "Mariesii" - Viburnum plicatum "Watanabe" Tall evergreen bushes - Choisya ternata - Ilex aquifolium - Laurus nobilis - Phillyrea decora - Phillyrea media - Viburnum tinus Trees - Malus floribunda X "Evereste" - Ilex aquifolium - Laurus nobilis - Phillyrea decora - Phillyrea media - Viburnum tinus Arbres - Malus floribunda X "Evereste"

Oak-leafed hydrangea Peony from China Leaf of geranium platypetalum Hosta Iris Stachys lanato European globe flower Hemerocallis