Whether exotic, heritage, botanical, ornamental, or conceptual, the five selected French gardens are located along the Mediterranean, the Atlantic coast and the English Channel.
The Domaine du Rayol, located opposite the Iles d'Hyères on the Mediterranean coast, took on its current form after being purchased in 1989 by the Conservatoire du Littoral (Coastal Conservatory). Previously, in the 1910s, its 40 hectares of scrubland had been owned by businessman Alfred Courmes. He built the Hôtel de la Mer (now the reception area) and the Villa Rayolet (recently restored and featuring a permanent exhibition). The last owner, the aeronautical engineer Henri Potez (1891–1981), made it his second home after the war, with organized gardens. (President Jacques Chirac, whose father was close to the family, spent his vacations here). Protected from real estate speculation despite a long period of neglect, the site, with its antique-style pergola, Mediterranean plants and terrace with magnificent views, was entrusted to landscape architect and "gardener" Gilles Clément, with the aim of making it "the most beautiful garden in France."
The creator of Jardin en Mouvement ("Garden in Motion") decided to create a "Mediterranean Garden" on seven hectares of a 20-hectare estate, grouping together a dozen gardens combining natural landscapes from regions of the world with a climate similar to that of the Var coast. This includes a Californian garden with cacti, an Australian garden with eucalyptus, a South African garden with heathers and a Chilean garden with Inca lilies and honey palms. Much of the estate remains a striking landscape of scrubland featuring holm oak or cork oak, Aleppo pine and maritime pine, arbutus and myrtle, rosemary and Maures lavender. There's even a marine garden, with a Posidonia meadow that can be explored with flippers and a snorkel. It's a total change of scenery.
Domaine du Rayol – Jardin des Méditerranées, Avenue Jacques-Chirac (formerly avenue des Belges), Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer (Var). Practical information on Domainedurayol.org
30th edition of the Festival soirées romantiques, from July 15 to August 19. 'Odyssea - Jardin possible' exhibition, until September 22. 20th edition of Gondwana, the Mediterranean Plant Festival, on Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6, 2024, with the theme 'Planetary Gardeners.'
Located on the edge of the Pays de Caux in Normandy, in a famous valley that slopes down to the sea – with impressive views from the beach – the Jardin du Vasterival boasts an exceptional setting. Its history dates back to the early 20th century when musician Albert Roussel (1869-1937) settled here. His grave, like painter Georges Braque's, can be found in the charming marine cemetery of Varengeville-sur-Mer, just a seagull's flight away. Greta Sturdza (1915-2009) acquired the villa of the composer of Promenade Sentimentale en Forêt ("Sentimental Walk in the Forest") after the war. Passionate about botany, the woman everyone called "the Princess" continually expanded and enhanced the estate. As such, it became one of Normandy's most beautiful and charming gardens, alongside its "neighbors" in Varengeville, the famous Bois des Moutiers and the Jardin Shamrock, famed for its hydrangea collection.
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