Visit French Gardens

When thinking of French Gardens it is usually the very formal gardens surrounding chateaux which spring to mind but I prefer a more informal style and there are plenty to choose from. Here are my top 10 favourites

Le Jardin Plume - Great mix of the new style prairie planting and a very French style parterre or knot garden.

Monet's garden at Giverny - we all recognise these gardens from Monet’s fabulous paintings.

Park Floral de la Source - there are some magnificent herbaceous borders to see here.

Les Jardins de Kerdalo - Designed by Peter Wolkonsky, this park was also classed as a "jardin remarquable" and added to the list of "des Monuments Historiques" in 2005.

Les jardins suspendus de Marqueyssac - the amazingly shaped box and the whole setting high above a beautiful section of the Dordogne river make this garden worth seeing.

La Petite Rochelle - has a series of garden rooms each with a different colour theme.

Le Clos du Coudray - this garden has a series of themed gardens including a shady garden with a fabulous display of hostas.

Jardin de Sericourt - winner of the best park in France competition in 2005. This large garden offers lots to see in a variety of ‘garden rooms’.

Le Parc Oriental de Maulevrier - this beautiful park is the biggest Japanese garden in France and professors from universities in Japan have recognised the gardens as having an authentic Japanese style.

Les Jardins de Sardy - the highlight of this garden is a beautiful formal pond set below the old farmhouse and surrounded by planting which is a combination of English and Italian-style.

See www.frenchgardens.com for more French Gardens to visit and enjoy