Plant Experiment Garden to reopen in Rabat

A historic garden in Rabat The administrator of the Plant Experiment Garden in Rabat, Khaled Arslan, announced Saturday, that the historical garden will reopen soon after reconstruction works is finished, with the final bill coming to 50 million Moroccan Derhams ($ 4.7 million).
The garden was founded in 1914 by the Moroccan Sultan Mulai Abdel Hafiz, as a public park and a place for plant experiments and scientific research.
The reconstruction project was funded by the state administration of Rabat, the National Institution for Agricultural Research, Rabat's Municipality and King Hassan II Fund for Economic and Social development. The garden's area is about 17 hectares, divided between a public garden, a tree garden, an ornamental plants garden and a newly founded section for continental plants.
"Delaying the opening of the garden was due to the slow growth of some plants. The garden will be opened to the public, but it will be dedicated mainly to plant experiments and scientific research. It contains more than 600 kinds of important plants  from five continents, with a focus on the Mediterranean plants", Arslan said.
The Plant Experiment Garden included several new plants and crops from the Moroccan landscape, as this was one of the main reasons that pushed the Moroccan government to launch the project of reconstructing the historical garden. The project was among a series of projects to reconstruct the main historical landmarks of the Moroccan capital.
The garden is a great model for Islamic heritage in garden designs, as it contains an agricultural museum showing the ancient tools used by Moroccan farmers and peasants, along with experiment plantations, lakes, kid areas, and rooms for cultural activities.