GARDENS
With over 700 native and exotic plant varieties cultivated onsite over the course of our 25-year history, Jnane Tamsna has one of the most diverse and unique gardens in Marrakech.
A winding serpentine path leads guests to cozy outdoor sitting areas nestled among centennial palms. Our serene garden nooks are ideal for reading, writing, or sipping a refreshing afternoon mint tea. Reminiscent of many historical medina gardens, basins and pools are scattered around the property, the water reflecting the swaying silhouettes of our majestic date palms.
Gary Martin, Ethnobotanist and Jnane Tamsna co-owner, is the creator of these unique Marrakech gardens. He says, "There is a new trend that draws on ancient horticultural traditions while embracing socially conscious gardening and a new palette of ecologically appropriate plants. This is particularly evident in the Palmeraie, Morocco's northernmost oasis, where there is a resurgence of private secret gardens."
AMONG 700 PLANT SPECIES SALTWATER POOLS HEATED IN WINTER
We are the only Marrakech garden with five saltwater swimming pools, heated in winter. Each pool is nestled within its own cluster of trees, which are nourished using our sustainable water practices. Atlantic pistachios around the Ylane saltwater pool and pomegranate trees on the edge of the Moussafir pool, just steps away from our clay-surface tennis court. The Jnane House pool, set among date palms, is framed on two sides by a unique combination of Mexican feather grass and furcaeas, providing a constantly changing aspect that always has an evergreen element. Trees are distinctive features of the other pools as well: whether guests seek shade or sun, there will always be the perfect spot for you to find tranquility in our gardens. Two of our Karwan suites have a private dipping pool for your very own corner of refreshing bliss. Our café and bar is adjacent to the Jnane House pool, a perfect space for guests to enjoy an aperitif as the sun sets on our glowing canopy of date palms.
FARM-TO-TABLE DINING
Our diverse gardens are excellent venues for open-air dining in Marrakech, under the sun or beneath a star-filled evening sky. Meals are movable feasts that can be set poolside, along verandas, or on upper terraces, with stunning tablescapes designed using plants from the estate. As a farm-to-table hotel, we produce all the seasonal vegetables that we serve to our guests in our birdsong-filled gardens, and we are uniquely placed among the world's most serene farm-to-table hotels.
HISTORY
“The new wave of Marrakech garden design is to be found in the engaging presence of Gary Martin, who leads by example in the nine sustainable and organically healthy acres of gardens and grounds of Jnane Tamsna.”
Kirsty Fergusson, Hortus
Gary Martin faced nearly nine acres of then water-stressed palm grove when he first set out to create his organic orchard in 2001. Apart from these scattered trees, the grounds were as barren as the Palmeraie on the eastern side of the property. Gary remembers, "We could stand on the higher southwestern corner of our land and look straight through to the northeastern corner and beyond." He had found a blank canvas on which to create the Marrakech gardens at the heart of this farm-to-table hotel.
After digging wells and building a wall around the property, he started by putting in a border of transplanted olive trees - part of the "rescue horticulture" he practices by saving fruit trees from medina gardens and other places where their growth may be affected. This created a pathway to an aromatic garden that is resplendent with angel trumpets, Japanese mock orange, white iceberg roses, and climbing jasmine. Produce such as aubergines, kale, tomatoes, and many other vegetables grow adjacent in this colorful display of horticulture.
TODAY
Our garden boasts over four hundred ecological species. Gary notes, "My childhood dream of creating my botanical garden is now on its way to being realized, complete with signs that give the common English name, Latin name, botanical family, and geographical origin of each species. A recent innovation is our 'ornamental arsa' where I have replaced the conventional vegetable crops with an experimental garden of agaves, aloes, grasses, palms, and other plants that must show their mettle before I use them more broadly in landscaping and share them with the growing network of Marrakech gardeners who swap seeds and cuttings. My next project is a native plant Moroccan garden that will feature species that are part of the original local flora, including endemics that are not found in other countries."
Gary also explains his process of maintaining the gardens: "We use permaculture techniques in tending our extensive gardens. In addition to a policy of no chemical inputs, we integrate practices such as inverted hügelkultur to increase fertility, organic matter, and water retention in our alkaline clay soil. Drawing on an ancient North African tradition, we have placed ollas - covered terra cotta pots - to ensure efficient use of irrigation water, a critical step in maintaining the ecological responsibility of our Marrakech gardens."
If you'd like to know more about the gardens and the stunning varieties blooming throughout the year, take a look at Gary's Instagram: @jnanetamsnagardens.