Princess Grace Rose Garden re-landscaping

17th December 2013: Last week Prince Albert planted the first rose in Monaco's Princess Grace Rose Garden. Re-landscaping work continues and an inauguration date of 14th June 2014 is planned.

Created 30 years ago, the Princess Grace Rose Garden is a haven of tranquility in Fontvieille. The green space is closing for about a year while the Direction de l'Amenagement Urbain (DAU) carries out extensive work.

A number of new features are planned for the Rose Garden, including an increase in area by 1500m2, approximately 43%. Three new entrances are to be installed, one for visitors with reduced mobility, and a number of hedges removed to create a more open space. A pond and waterfall wall are to be built, above which visitors can enjoy a view over the whole garden. The centrepiece of this new structure will be the bronze fountain previously installed at Place d'Armes.

As for the plants, they are to receive an organic diet. Grassy areas are to be replaced with organic mulch to help limit water usage and allow visitors to get up close and smell the roses. The flowers themselves are to be re-planted in 6 themed areas:

• roses of the Princely family, centred around Kees Verkade's sculpture of Princess Grace
• perfumed varieties
• historic Prince and Princess roses
• botanical and collectors' varieties
• shrubs and climbing roses
• new, international prize-winning acquisitions

Cultivated in the DAU nursery at Saint Laurent d'Eze, there are currently 300 varieties and 4500 rose plants in the garden. On completion, this should increase to between 8000 and 10,000.