Tag Archives: france

Wondrous Landevennec Garden Part 1: Plantings and Borders

March 4, 2020 Globetrotting Gardener Leave a comment

This lovely garden just outside the small coastal town of Landevennec in northern Brittany is absolutely full of surprises at every turn. I will show more of the garden structures in my next post, such as the bridge, gazebo, arbor, etc. In this post I will focus on the fantastic borders and plantings all throughout this garden.

The hedges all around mix a variety of shrubs for texture, foliage and blooms, together with perennials for touches of colors. The fall blooms of the dahlia borders add magical color to the fall garden. Hostas and other shade loving plants fill shadier corners.

Mixed hedge shrubs with accent of black eyed susans

Mixed shrubs ad texture, color and interest

Formal gardens, Historic gardens, Theme gardens

Castle of Trevarez: The Italian Garden

April 19, 2016 Globetrotting Gardener 1 Comment

The castle of Trevarez near Chateauneuf du Faou in northern Brittany, France, is one of the last great castles built in France. Construction began in 1892 for a French politician and brought together all the faste and excess of the Belle Epoque, frescoes, carvings, marble, mosaics, ornate panels and fireplaces.

It is often referred to as the pink or red castle, because of the pink color it gets from the bricks used. It was unfortunately bombed in the 1940s, and has not been occupied since, but it is being renovated by the government who purchased it in the 70s.

The gardens were neglected as well for many years and have been slowly brought back to their original glory, one area at a time. The grounds are extensive, with stables, a large wash house, theme gardens, formal gardens and much more.

In this post, I am featuring one of my favorites of the Trevarez gardens, the Italian garden. It features a pond and grotto, a row of unusual fountains, and a lawn all along the side with a small water canal leading to the stairs going to the Romantic Garden. The Italian Garden is just to the side of the castle.

Japanese gardens, Theme gardens

Castle of Trevarez in France: The Japanese Gardens

April 12, 2016 Globetrotting Gardener Leave a comment

In this post, I am featuring the Japanese gardens.There were originally two Japanese gardens: a smaller one nearer the main entrance and a larger one at the other end of the domain on the other side of the castle, but this latter has yet to be redone the way it used to be and after many years of neglect very little is left of it and the woods have reclaimed most of it.

At the entrance of the Japanese garden is a small pavilion; note the intricate paving, the bamboo, and water feature.

Past the pavilion is the Japanese rock garden with plantings and rock river beds for the stream.

Finally , below are a few photos of what is left of the other Japanese garden.

Formal gardens, Historic gardens

Castle of Trevarez: Castle and Formal Gardens

April 7, 2016 Globetrotting Gardener Leave a comment

In this post, I am featuring the castle itself with the formal gardens in the front. The castle is sited so as to overlook the valley in the back and enjoy a stunning view of the gardens terraced below, including a large collection of azaleas and rhododendrons directly below which were unfortunately not in bloom at the time of my visit.

Formal gardens with sundial and birdcage in axis

Ovelrooking the Italian garden to the side below

Monastery and other religious gardens, Other gardens

Abbaye of Daoulas in Brittany: Art in the Gardens

July 4, 2015 Globetrotting Gardener Leave a comment

The romanesque style Abbaye of Daoulas in the Brittany region of France dates back to the 12th century. This site is of interest not only for the monastery itself but for a remarkable cloister unique in Brittany, large grounds with a pond, old washouse and integrating outdoor art exhibits, but also for its medicinal garden which has one of the largest collection of plants in Europe. I am writing about these in separate posts.

In this post, I am featuring the grounds and art exhibit. The grounds of the abbaye form an unexpected background for large scale photos of the Omi people by photographer Hans Sylvester. Showing people who are so strikingly different from us at first glance, he also captures a human commonality in everyday gestures and occupations.

Cottage gardens, Other gardens

Unusual Post Office Perennial Borders in France

June 23, 2015 Globetrotting Gardener Leave a comment

Not only is the architecture of this post office building in France a bit unusual and somewhat reminiscent of a ship with the round windows, but it has some stunning mixed borders in its front “garden”.

Cottage gardens, Other gardens

Ploher’s Old Gothic Church Garden

June 16, 2015 Globetrotting Gardener Leave a comment

In this small Brittany village, the gothic era church with its lacy steeple typical of this region of Brittany is decorated with colorful mixed borders, decorative grasses, hydrangea hedges, and seasonal containers boxes.

Conservatories and greenhouses, Formal gardens, Kitchen gardens

Castle of Trevarez in France: The Vegetable Garden & Greenhouses

June 10, 2015 Globetrotting Gardener 1 Comment

In this post, I am featuring the potager, or kitchen garden and the greenhouses. They have been under renovation since 2013 after being abandoned for many years. Historians, landscape designers, gardeners and staff cleared out the brush while cataloguing the plants found and located the original concrete edging to the borders and the central water pond. They were able to begin to recreate the four large quadrants that made up the walled kitchen garden. A large greenhouse closes in the potager at one end, and on the other side of one wall are the rest of the greenhouses.

The other greenhouses for the potager are still standing but also in need of renovation.

The gardener’s cottage and annex has a lean in hothouse that was used at the time for exotic plants and hothouse flowers.

Botanical gardens, City Parks and Gardens, Theme gardens

Brest Botanical Gardens Part II: The Preservation Gardens

June 5, 2015 Globetrotting Gardener Leave a comment

In northern Brittany, the Botanical Gardens in Brest enjoy a privileged location in a small valley with a stream throughout, and creating a microclimate allowing endangered species to grow with additional protection. Long and narrow, these gardens are divided into the park area at one end, end the botanical gardens proper at the other.

In this second post, I am featuring the botanical gardens, which are largely dedicated to the preservation of endangered species of plants. The water features here are more extensive than in the park area, with large ponds and ducks in addition to the stream running the length of the park. Here again, the areas around the stream are reminiscent of Japanese rock gardens, and landscaped with a profusion of bridges, ferns or bamboo groves. Note the beautiful planting of Tasmanian tree ferns along the banks, as well as some particularly large gunneras.

Botanical gardens, City Parks and Gardens

Brest Botanical Gardens Part 1: The Park

June 3, 2015 Globetrotting Gardener 1 Comment

In this post, I am featuring the park. Common to both areas is the stream and therefore an abundance of water features. The park has the feel of a woodland garden, with more greenery, bamboos, mature trees, gunnera and the likes, than landscaped borders and flowers. The choice of plants as well as the use of rocky elements and bridges give it very much the feel of a Japanese garden, in certain areas of the park in particular.