TEST GARDEN (OF THE HAMMA)

A real green lung of 32 hectares, the Jardin d'Essai reopened its doors in 2009 after ten years of abandonment. The "Jardin du Hamma" was created in 1832 on this former marshy strip located between the shore and the first slopes of the Bois des Arcades, which had to be cleaned up. Hamma means both "mud, sludge" and "fever". In 1837, the primitive garden of 5 hectares was given an additional 13 hectares. As a supplier of seedlings, the Garden became the "Central Nursery of the Government" until 1861, when it became the "Scientific and Acclimatization Garden for exotic plants". From 1842 to 1867, many plant species were introduced: araucarias, plane trees, palms, bamboos, dragon trees, ficus trees..

Granted to the Algerian Company in 1867, its exploitation was taken over by the French government in 1913.

Considered as one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the world, it was visited by Napoleon III in 1865 and aroused the curiosity of Karl Marx, then on a rest cure in Algiers, who took a walk there in 1882.

In 1914, the French architects Régnier and Guion undertook the embellishment and enlargement of the French Garden around this majestic avenue of washingtonias.

In 1918, the Garden became an important educational center with the creation of the horticulture school and the housekeeping school. The history of the Garden is marked by its occupation by the Allies in 1942 who turned it into a depot and a truck repair shop. Heavily damaged by the bombings, the Garden was rehabilitated at the end of the war. After Independence, the management of the Garden was entrusted to the National Institute of Agronomic Research of Algeria, which was later replaced by the National Agency for Nature Conservation. The Garden has gone through a difficult period during which it was stripped of more than half of its plant species. From 2001 to 2009, the garden has benefited from major rehabilitation work in cooperation, from 2005, with the City of Paris.
The Jardin d'Essai, where more than 3,000 plant species are listed, is structured around the Platanus Alley, the Dragon Tree Alley, the Ficus Alley, the Cocos Alley and is composed of a French garden which is articulated around the Washingtonia Alley, an English garden with wild vegetation composed of liana trees and decorated with two ponds. Many greenhouses also occupy the space.