Jardin de la France, French gardens, Renaissance gardens, English gardens... all fascinating names that deserve to be explained by a specialist. Henri Carvallo, owner of the Château and gardens of Villandry, will introduce us to the secrets of the art of gardening, focusing of course on the wonders of his estate. Let's embark on a journey of visual, olfactory and culinary enchantment...
Why is the Loire Valley known as the "Garden of France"?
Henri Carvallo: That's what the writer François Rabelais called it. Thanks to its very pleasant temperate climate, its good soil and the Loire and its tributaries, the Val de Loire is a great place for gardens. It was also the residence of the kings of France for 100 years. The Italian wars of the late 15th and early 16th centuries brought Italian artists and gardeners, notably the famous Dom Pacello de Mercogliano, who pioneered Renaissance gardens in the Loire Valley.
What are the differences between these gardens?
Henri Carvallo: The "English" garden (19th century) is a park with lawns and large trees, where nature is quite free. The formal, structured French garden (16th-17th century) is an extension of the château's architecture. Plants, such as boxwood, are shaped (topiary). French gardens can be divided into several periods. There are the Renaissance gardens, like this one at Villandry, which are still influenced by the Middle Ages, with cloistered terraces winding around the castle. Then there are the French gardens of the 17th century, with Versailles and the famous gardener Lenôtre, organised around a main axis perpendicular to the château.
Can you tell us about these famous terraces?
Henri Carvallo: They're different levels of gardens. Here, there are three main ones. The decorative vegetable garden, on the lowest level, covers one hectare. There are lots of vegetables. On the second level is the ornamental garden, comprising two rooms: the love garden and the music garden. The third level is the water feature. We recently created a fourth level: the sun garden. All in all, there are 7 hectares of gardens. We also have a troglodytic orangery (in the rock), where the orange trees spend the winter.
How many gardeners look after the gardens at Villandry?
Henri Carvallo: Ten of them look after it every day, even in winter! In fact, that's one of the characteristics of the French garden: because the structure is man-made, it requires a lot of maintenance. Pruning, in particular: 30 km of boxwood, 10 km of hornbeam, 1,000 lime trees... Weeding is done by hand and our treatments are organic. And because we have a lot of visitors, the long paths are walked on enough to keep the weeds at bay!
What happens to the vegetables in the garden?
Henri Carvallo: Harvested and eaten! They're very tasty. The staff and gardeners enjoy them all year round and we give them away to visitors. In fact, on the last weekend in September, we organise a "vegetable garden day". All can leave with vegetables.
Suggestions and advice Whether royal, English, contemporary or kitchen gardens, the gardens of the Loire Valley offer an ever-changing spectacle throughout the seasons. If you want to immerse yourself in landscapes where nature is at its most beautiful, head for the Centre-Val de Loire region, which boasts no fewer than 31 "remarkable gardens". The good news from a practical, eco-friendly point of view is that they're all located between 1 and 2 hours from Paris by train, and each site is easily accessible by shuttle bus, bike or train. We're looking forward to your visit!
Also read: A visit to the gardens of the Loire Valley castles
By France.fr
The magazine of the destination unravels an unexpected France that revisits tradition and cultivates creativity. A France far beyond what you can imagine…
