Floral Dreams at Pairi Daiza in bloom.
75 hectares of garden awaken and enchant.
It’s time to immerse yourself in a wave of spring flowers! The nine worlds of Pairi Daiza awaken as a floral symphony: more than a million daffodils, grape hyacinths, and tulips unfurl their radiant colors, filling the air of the paths and gardens with their fragrance. Meanwhile, on The Islands of the Rising Sun, the gentle rustling of Japanese cherry blossoms announces a miniature hanami – a fleeting celebration of nature’s beauty. Pairi Daiza invites you to experience these marvels in a new festival, from April: 'Floral Dreams'.
The fifteen gardeners of Pairi Daiza are true artists. They work with great care to harmonize colors and select species that bloom simultaneously, creating natural and visually pleasing compositions. Instead of planting in uniform blocks, they favor mixed arrangements that extend the flowering period and evoke breathtaking landscapes, reminiscent of wild meadows or mountain scenes.
"This winter, with the help of students from the Horticulture and Agriculture Schools of Hauts-de-France, our team buried hundreds of thousands of bulbs from The Netherlands in the dormant soil—tiny treasures promising future splendor. Today, patience and expertise have resulted in a magical spectacle. The hardest part is done. Now, we focus on maintaining the flower beds and are ready to remove the wilted blooms to regenerate the bulbs for next year," explains Guy Vandersande, Botanical Director of Pairi Daiza.
For the past few days, a floral tide has been flooding the park: around thirty species of daffodils, shimmering crocuses, intoxicating hyacinths, and clusters of blue and purple grape hyacinths have transformed every pathway into a living masterpiece. Their delicate fragrances float through the air, wrapping visitors in a cocoon of springtime sweetness.
And this is just the beginning… For now comes the reign of the tulips! One million of these wonders are about to set Pairi Daiza ablaze with dazzling colors—from the entrance to the Land of Origins, passing through the Kingdom of Ganesha, and even reaching the Land of the Cold, where flowers bloom alongside dinosaurs.
In every world, colors have been carefully chosen to enhance the soul of each place: shades of purple and pink illuminate the Kingdom of Ganesha, fiery hues of orange and yellow set the Land of Origins ablaze, while the Islands of the Rising Sun dazzle with a radiant ballet of roses, harmonizing perfectly with the blooming cherry trees and camellias.
As nature awakens from its slumber, nearly one hundred and fifty magnolias are coming to life in various corners of the Park. Their fiery red or delicate pink blossoms offer a refined spectacle in the Middle Kingdom, the Kingdom of Ganesha, and throughout the gardens and pathways of Cambron Abbey and Cambron-sur-Mer.
These magnolias carry stories within them, like the Magnolia Stellata Rosia jointly planted by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Belgian King Philippe in March 2014. Or the precious collection of rare specimens of Paul Van Laerhoven, a Belgian Botanist with a deep love for plant. Pairi Daiza opened its arms—and its fertile soil—to welcome these botanical jewels.
🌸 A Journey among the Cherry Blossoms 🌸
In spring, the world of Pairi Daiza dedicated to the beauty of Japan invites visitors to partake in an ancient tradition: hanami, the Japanese custom of celebrating the fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms, known as sakura.
Around fifty cherry trees reach toward the sky, offering a spectacle that is both delicate and ephemeral. The Fuji Yedonesis, originating from the plains of Mount Fuji, are the first to bloom at the beginning of April, unveiling their pure white buds.
On the occasion of Hanami, some white and pink cloths decorate the paths and gates of The Islands of the Rising Sun, for an even more intense immersion in this age-old tradition.
Further along, the majestic Prunus serrulata Taihaku commands attention. This graceful Japanese cherry tree is distinguished by its immaculate, abundantly blooming flowers, creating a breathtaking display in the heart of spring. As the season reaches its peak, the Taihaku and Shirofugen varieties burst into bloom, adorning the Japanese garden with a ballet of white and pink flowers, gently dancing in the wind. The Prunus serrulata Shirofugen holds a special surprise for patient visitors: its petals open in double blossoms, first pure white, then gradually tinged with a soft pink by May, extending the magic of hanami.
In the dry garden, another floral treasure catches the eye: a stunning carpet of Chionodoxa, also known as Glory-of-the-Snow, whose spikes of vibrant blue flowers complete this enchanting tableau.
There is even a special link with Germany in the creation of the Japanese World:
"We research to find the best plants for our projects internationally. For the pine trees, particularly those in the Japanese world, we work with 'Baum & Bonheur' in Nettetal, Germany. Their greatest asset is the meticulous tracking of each tree’s transplant history and their outstanding quality in large specimens. Every tree comes with an identity card detailing its species, variety, the exact plot where it was cultivated, and the number of times it has been transplanted. These details are essential to ensuring optimal plant quality. " Guy Vandersande, Botanical Director of Pairi Daiza.
“We’re very happy and proud to be part of that wonderful project. For more then 8 years already we’re delivering trees to Pairi Daiza where they become a part of this amazing and unique destination, garden, park, voted multiple times Best Zoo in Europe. It’s extraordinary to collaborate as an international tree nursery growing 2,500 tree varieties. We cultivate on 660 hectare open ground in Germany, located not far from Düsseldorf, but also in the Netherlands and in France.” Peyrik Möller, CSO Baum & Bonheur
At Pairi Daiza, the landscapes, flowers and plants are carefully brought together to reflect the diversity and harmony of nature. This approach allows visitors to discover a vast array of flowers throughout their strolls.
Each area of the park offers a unique visual experience, with colors and atmospheres that evolve week by week, ensuring a continuously renewed spectacle throughout the spring season.
Many visitors opt for the Membership Card to visit multiple times during the year, to enjoy the botanical evolution of the garden througout all seasons.
With the Pairi Daiza Foundation, planting efforts extend far beyond the borders of Pairi Daiza.
For several years now, the Pairi Daiza Foundation has been committed to protecting biodiversity through various projects, including the cultivation and planting of new vegetation to help restore the original habitats of animal species that are represented in Pairi Daiza as ambassadors for their kind.
- In Vietnam, the Foundation, together with Stiftung Artenschutz and the Frankfurt Zoological Society, contributes to the protection of the 42,000-hectare forest reserve of Kon Ka Kinh National Park in the heart of the country. This reserve is home to 42 species of mammals, 160 species of birds, and 51 species of reptiles. Protecting this forest also means preserving the only natural habitat in the world of the Northern Yellow-cheeked Gibbon.
- In Borneo, the Foundation has partnered with the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation to plant more than 11,000 trees in efforts to restore the natural habitat of both the orangutan and the clouded leopard.
- In Nepal, the Foundation collaborates with the Red Panda Network to help restore 90 hectares of forest that are vital to the survival of the red panda. In 2023 alone, 28,808 planting holes were dug for 14,049 seedlings, including rhododendron, lithocarpus, mountain ash, Himalayan birch, Himalayan pine, and maple. A total of 32 men and women were employed to carry out this work. To date, the number of seedlings planted has reached 75,000.
- In Belgium, the Foundation is also working to protect local forests through Nassonia, a joint forest management project covering 1,650 hectares in Saint-Michel-Freyr. This project is a collaboration between the Nature and Forests Department of the Walloon Government and the Pairi Daiza Foundation. It aims to implement innovative strategies for species and habitat management to make the forest more resilient.
Feel free to select elements from this overview or contact me directly to arrange a themed visit or tailored feature on ‘Floral Dreams’.
To celebrate Floral Dreams a thematically designated map is available: online map
Floral Dreams runs from April to May 18.
Johan Vreys