About Zelmiane Journal
An independent journal written by garden lovers, with no affiliation to any garden, museum or tourism body.
About this journal
Zelmiane Journal is a small, independent publication about the gardens of Morocco. It is written by people who love plants, landscape design and Moroccan history, and who have spent many seasons walking the country’s gardens in Marrakech, Rabat, Fes and beyond. The name is our own invention; it does not belong to any garden, family or organisation.
We began the journal because practical, neutral information about visiting famous gardens was surprisingly hard to find. Official websites naturally focus on their own operations, while many other pages exist mainly to resell entry with additional fees. We wanted a calm place that explains how a garden came to be, what grows there, when it is most enjoyable and how to arrange a visit safely through the right channel.
What we cover
Our pages describe Majorelle Garden in Marrakech in detail, and also the Rabat Botanical Test Garden and the Andalusian Garden of the Oudayas in Rabat, Bou Jeloud Gardens in Fes and the Exotic Gardens of Bouknadel. For each one we discuss history, design and plants, typical visiting patterns and the surrounding area. We avoid publishing exact prices because they change, and an out-of-date figure helps nobody.
Our independence
We do not sell tickets, tours or any other product. We do not earn commissions or affiliate income. We accept no advertising and no sponsored content. No garden, museum, foundation, hotel or tourism office has paid for anything on this site, and we are not affiliated with any of them. Our modest running costs are covered by the editors personally.
How we research
Our notes are based on our own visits in different seasons, on published history and botanical literature, and on the public information released by each site, which we use for factual reference only. Where details may have changed, we say so and recommend confirming locally. We revisit pages regularly and correct them when readers point out errors.
Our principles
- Describe each garden honestly, including crowds and limitations.
- Always point to the official source for practical details such as admission.
- Never imitate an official website or suggest an affiliation we do not have.
- Collect as little personal data as possible; this site has no forms, accounts or tracking scripts.
- Encourage respectful behaviour in fragile historic gardens.
Safety
We regularly remind readers not to buy entry from unofficial sellers and not to follow links in unsolicited messages. We hold ourselves to the same standard: there is no payment system on this website, and no one representing Zelmiane Journal will ever ask you for money, card details, passwords or identity documents.
Get in touch
We are always happy to hear from readers with corrections, seasonal observations or suggestions for gardens we should add in future. Please visit our contact page for our email address and telephone number. You can also read our disclaimer to understand the limits of the information we provide.