Photo : Aglaë Adanson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Arboretum de Balaine
The Balaine arboretum, at Villeneuve-sur-Allier near Moulins, in the Allier, is a private botanical park created in the early 19th century (1804 or 1805, depending on the source) by Aglaé Adanson, daughter of the naturalist Michel Adanson. Around a château she had inherited, she laid out an English-style park and gathered exotic species, in the spirit of Joséphine de Beauharnais's collections at Malmaison.
The estate has remained in the same family for seven generations. It covers some twenty hectares with about 2,500 varieties of trees, shrubs and plants, combining English garden design with species from all over the world. It has been listed as a historic monument since 1993 and holds the 'Jardin Remarquable' label. Families and botany enthusiasts explore its paths, ponds and woodland. Opening periods and days vary with the season.
