PRESS RELEASE
Brussels, 10 April 2014
Year of Flora highlights the splendour of Brussels’ parks
Brussels has an extremely rich green heritage: Brussels Park, the Botanical Garden, Leopold Park, the Bois
de la Cambre, the Mont des Arts… Unfortunately, the inhabitants of Brussels are still largely unaware of
these parks which reflect an admittedly prestigious yet sometimes remote past. It is with the aim of
rediscovering these hidden treasures that the Year of Flora will take place until March 2015. Exhibitions,
visits, walks, conferences, there will be something for all tastes and ages. Pictures can be downloaded via
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9362v02lcuc2gng/sei6GhpQKF
+ http://www.pgav.be/fr_presse.php
(brusselse parken copyright Photo Gallery vzw).
It is clear that the birth of Belgian horticulture precedes that of Belgium itself. In fact, its origins can be
traced back to at least the 17th century. For example, in Brussels the official creation of the Brotherhood of
Saint Dorothy, patron saint of gardeners and florists, dates from 1664. This organisation survived for more
than a century but disappeared in 1786 when Joseph II abolished religious orders. However, this did not
signal the end of Brussels’ passion for horticulture. In 1882, the Floral Society (Société de Flore) took up the
torch of the Brotherhood of Saint Dorothy. In 1826, the Royal Horticultural Society of the Netherlands
founded the Botanical Garden in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode. Following Belgium’s independence under the reign
of Leopold I from 1831 to 1865, Brussels became one of the capitals of European horticulture and rivalled
Ghent for the extravagance and innovation of its horticulture market. The middle-classes discovered an allconsuming passion for horticulture, exotic and rare plants, hothouses, botanical curiosities etc. to such an
extent that they financed expeditions led by genuine plant hunter-explorers. The middle classes also
became involved through numerous learned societies, one of the most famous of which was the Linnean
Society (a breakaway from the Floral Society).
The passion for gardens and plants continued under the reign of the ‘landscaping king’. Leopold II gave
Brussels several of its green heritage treasures. He also encouraged painters to magnify all exotic plants.
For example, the orchid was depicted by the Brussels painter Alphone Goossens (1866-1944). However, the
First World War was to put a strong brake on the expansion of Brussels’ horticulture. Some years later, the
capital once again revived its horticultural grandeur during the Brussels International Exposition of 1935.
The event also saw the reunion of the Floral Society and the Linnean Society. The Second World War once
again brought a halt to developments. However, following the global conflict, Brussels’ horticulture
gradually recovered. A first high point was in 1958 during the Universal Exhibition. Many still remember the
superb gardens created for the event by the great landscape architect René Pechère. Today, Brussels is
rediscovering its horticultural splendour. It was also very close to being named European Green Capital.
From 7 to 77 years
2014 marks the 350th anniversary of the creation of the Brotherhood of Saint Dorothy in Brussels. This
event is a unique opportunity to show off the capital’s horticultural splendour of the past, present and
future. It was for this purpose that the non-profit organisation Year of Flora was formed on the initiative of
the Royal Brussels Linnean and Floral Society. Gaspard Jedwab, Alain Camu and Paul Grosjean are the
mainstays of the new organisation.
Year of Flora is under the High Patronage of Her Majesty Queen Paola. It is also receiving the welcome
support of a number of partners from the Brussels Capital Region, the City of Brussels, Bruxelles
Environnement, Visit Brussels, Botanic Garden Meise, les Halles Saint-Géry, Espaces Verts et Art des Jardins,
RTBF/La Première, VivaBruxelles, the Royal Galleries of St. Hubert, Floralia Brussels, Arbor and AG Real
Estate.
Year of Flora was officially opened on Thursday 10th April in the presence of many leading figures brought
together for the occasion at the Château de Grand-Bigard as part of the exceptional Floralia Brussels
exhibition. Between spring 2014 and spring 2015, Year of Flora will be organising or promoting a certain
number of events dedicated to the parks and gardens of Brussels including exhibitions, visits and
conferences. These events will be directed at a large public audience, from 7 to 77 years, both French- and
Dutch-speaking. Tourists will also be targeted. And not forgetting enlightened amateurs, of course.
Year of Flora begins in the Royal Galleries of St. Hubert. With the support of the non-profit association
Photo Gallery, there will be an exhibition devoted to the Brussels parks. Giant photos created especially for
the event will be hung from the wonderful glass roof until 8th May. The Queen’s Gallery and the King’s
Gallery will be decorated with flowers thanks to Floralia Brussels. All passers-by will be able to discover –
free of charge and in fine style – the horticultural splendour of the capital city. This exhibition is a unique
opportunity to bring the parks and gardens into the Brussels urban space.
Following the exhibition in the Royal Galleries of St. Hubert, there will be the “Balades de Flore” organised
by Bruxelles Environnement and Visit Brussels. From May until October, the public will be able to visit this
fine heritage immortalised by Photo Gallery. Maps showing various routes for discovering the Brussels
Capital Region and its green spaces will be made available to those who would like them. Three zones will
be created in the North, Centre and South of the city. These will include the capital’s most beautiful public
parks: Mont des Arts, Brussels Park, Egmont Park, Petit Sablon, Leopold Park, Jardins du Fleuriste, Bois de la
Cambre, Botanic Garden, Square du 21 juillet, Sobieski Park, Jardin Colonial, Osseghem Park, Garden of the
Chinese Pavilion… Guided tours will be led by the non-profit association CAP. The guides will be
accompanied by renowned experts including Denis Diagre, Odile De Bruyn, Daniel Geerinck and Wolfgang
Vahsen.
A true societal challenge
Finally, the climax of the Year of Flora will take place from 10th December to 28th February 2015 in the
Halles Saint-Gery in the form of the exhibition “Bruxelles, Capitale de Flore” (Brussels, Floral Capital). The
exhibition will paint a broad picture of horticulture and floriculture in the capital from the 17th century to
the present day. In particular, it will emphasise the horticultural splendour of the city between 1831 and
1865 in which the Linnean Society and the Floral Society were highly involved. It will reveal an unexpected
side of the 19th century middle-classes. Suspense… It will also highlight an emblematic plant of this
bourgeoning era: the orchid as immortalised by the painter Alphonse Goossens. The painter’s greatgranddaughter, Véronique Goossens, in a nod to her grandfather, has been entrusted with the project of
creating an installation entitled (IN)SOUTENABLE. The exhibition will finish with some more contemporary
elements. The highlights of the current parks and gardens will be tackled together with Bruxelles
Environnement. All of the exhibitions panels and notices will be in 3 languages: French, Dutch and English.
Exhibition in the Royal Galleries of St. Hubert, Balades de Flore, exhibition Bruxelles, Capitale de Flore,
Year of Flora will be organising a number of events. However, this will not prevent it from promoting all the
other related events held in Brussels and its surroundings. Via its website, it will highlight multiple projects
concerning the parks, gardens, flowers and plants: Open Doors Day at the Institute Redouté-Peiffer, flower
carpet at the Grand Place in Brussels, Jardins en fête by the René Pechère Library, conferences at CIVA with
Espaces Verts et Art des Jardins, exhibition at the Archives de la Ville de Bruxelles, discovery of wild orchids
in Brussels…
In addition to these events, the organisers of Year of Flora want to send a strong message to public
opinion: the parks and gardens are a great challenge for Brussels. The challenge is simultaneously cultural,
educational, environmental, economic, touristic and sectoral. Those supporting these events support this
message. Hence the reason that Year of Flora will finish with a round-table discussion in which all
stakeholders will come together in order to map out the future of Brussels’ parks and gardens. We are
already thinking of the future beyond Year of Flora!
For more information on Year of Flora and to register for the various events, please visit:
www.year-of-flora.be
Press service: Michel Grossmann: 0477-337.302. / michel@flconsult.be