The secret life of trees 

Alain Baraton has a genuine passion for his job, exhaustively conveying his unconditional love of nature and plants via his publications and conferences.

‘It was on my first visit to the Gardens of Versailles that I truly fell in love with trees. Although I was fond of them well before the start of my professional career, I realised that I hadn’t truly and attentively observed them – they were just part of my environment. When I became a gardener in 1976, I was asked to plant trees, firstly a few, then many more. Hence began my desire to know all about them: their origins, their etymology, the medicinal properties of their leaves, the colour of their flowers and the taste of their fruit. The world of trees is truly extraordinary.’

Alain Baraton is the head gardener of the Trianon Estate and the Gardens of the Palace of Versailles since 1982, together with manager of the National Estate of Marly-le-Roi since 2009. He concurrently presents chronicles on radio (France Inter since 2003) and TV (France 5 since 2014). He has also written a number of books and articles on the themes of gardening, plants and Versailles.