Tag Archives: roses

Montjuic’s Greek Theater Gardens in Barcelona, Spain

May 27, 2016 Globetrotting Gardener Leave a comment

The Greek Theater Garden started out as a rose garden, the second in Barcelona, and was created in 1929, like many of the gardens in the Montjuic area, for the International Exhibition.

You may think the greek theater itself is older, but it is a replica, also built in 1929. The Epiduro Theater in Athens, Greece, was used as the inspiration, which may be why it looks so authentic. The theater is used for cultural events, first and foremost the Greek Festival, during which many plays and performances take place there.

This lovely garden is adjacent to the Laribal Gardens, and starts with a larger terrace at top with a formal layout of rose borders and trees overlooking the greek theater, then a long pergola allows for sitting and enjoying the view over the rest of the mountain. Click here for an excellent article on these gardens.

Cottage gardens, Other gardens

A Rose Garden in Brittany, France with 100s of varieties

May 17, 2016 Globetrotting Gardener 3 Comments

In northern Brittany, France, just outside of the small picturesque town of Le Faou is a nursery specializing in roses. I never featured a commercial establishment in one of my posts before, but in the middle of fields of roses is a lovely rose garden showcasing many of the species cultivated there, from shrub roses to climbing roses, to old fashioned roses, and a pleasure to browse for anyone who enjoys roses as I do.

I will be writing another post about this garden as well, showcasing some of the individual varieties of roses.

City Parks and Gardens, Formal gardens

Barcelona Ciutadella Park: The Formal Gardens

July 22, 2015 Globetrotting Gardener Leave a comment

The Ciutadella Park in Barcelona is the largest and oldest city park. It was established in the mid 19th century and was for a long the only substantial green space in the city with about 70 acres of paths, trails, a lake, and assorted statuary and buildings. It is home to the Parliament building, the Barcelona Zoo, and the Geological museum. It is perhaps most famous for the very large waterfall fountain designed by Fontsere in the 1880s when Gaudi was his student and is believed to have contributed to it. It was inaugurated for the Universal Exhibition. See my other post for more on the fountain and the rest of the park.

The gardens by the Parliament and the Zoo are the most formal part of the Ciutadella, with neatly trimmed hedges, rows of plane trees, roses borders and a fountain.

Cottage gardens, Rose gardens

A Small Rose Garden in Brittany Adds Curb Appeal

May 26, 2015 Globetrotting Gardener Leave a comment

This house in a small coastal town in Brittany, France would be just one of many like it if it weren’t for the lush display of blooms from the small rose garden in the front yard. Shrub roses, climbing roses, old fashioned roses, bloom from spring to fall. Geraniums, cannas, dahlias and hydrangeas are mixed in for foliage and texture as well as extra blooms.

City Parks and Gardens, Historic gardens

Prinicipe de Anglona: A Historic Garden in Old Madrid

May 15, 2015 Globetrotting Gardener Leave a comment

“Jardín del Príncipe de Anglona is a beautiful green space, gracing Madrid’s Plaza de la Paja. It is one of the few examples of aristocratic gardens of the eighteenth century still preserved in the capital.

Its history is linked to the Palacio del Príncipe de Anglona, an edifice erected around 1530 as the residence of Francisco de Vargas- Jardín del Príncipe de Anglona was laid out in the eighteenth century, along one side of the mansion. It was designed in neo-classical style by Nicolás Chalmandrier.

The garden is named for Pedro de Alcántara Téllez-Girón y Alfonso-Pimentel, prince of Anglona and marquez of Jabalquinto, who lived in the mansion in the nineteenth century.” (From stay.com)

I visited this garden in the fall, and I can only image what a wonderful green oasis it must be in the heart of Madrid when the arbor and roses are in full bloom.

Cottage gardens, Rose gardens

French Stone Cottage with Roses

March 20, 2015 Globetrotting Gardener Leave a comment

This lovely stone cottage is typical of the architecture of the older houses in northern Brittany. Situated in a small coastal fishing village, this front garden is filled with a variety of roses, from shrub roses to climbing roses on trellises and arbors, in shades of pink, red and white.

Botanical gardens, Kitchen gardens, Monastery and other religious gardens, Theme gardens

Quimper Old Priory Medieval Gardens Part I: Medicinal & Aromatic Plants

March 6, 2015 Globetrotting Gardener 2 Comments

Work on this garden was started in 1997 to create a medieval garden in the style of a convent garden in the days of Anne of Brittany (1477-1514). The population at the time resorted to plants for most of their needs: food, medicine and clothing.

The garden has three essential components. The medicinal and herb garden, used by monks to make their own remedies from plants not readily available in the surrounding areas and therefore grown in the garden.

The edible garden: nutritious roots, fruit, fresh or dried, beans, barley, and other garden crops made up the menu of the time.

The tinctorial garden grew plants used for clothing such as hemp, linen or catharmus which was used for red coloring.

Note also that the medival garden is a representation of Paradise, with the fountain in the center representing the pure source from which the four rivers of Eden originate. Plants such as white lilies and other white flowers represent the virgin.

In this first post, I am featuring the front portion of the garden, with the medicinal and herb section.

This is one of the loveliest gardens in this style I have had the chance to visit and it was also awarded “Jardin Remarquable” (remarkable garden”. It was designed not only for function but also form, with a pavilion, arbors, pergolas, benches in cozy nooks, decorative borders for raised beds, woven Plessis, and a fountain, making it a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. It also overlooks the river Odet, making it a truly enchanting setting.

Cottage gardens

Blooming Seaside Cottage Garden in Brittany, France

February 18, 2015 Globetrotting Gardener 1 Comment

As in one of my previous posts, this cottage garden is also in the coastal village of Landevennec in northern Brittany, France. This garden right by the water puts out a stunning show of fall blooms in September, with a riot of color from hydrangeas, roses, and foliage from grasses and perennials mixed into lush border.

Cottage gardens

Fairytale Cottage Rose Garden in France

October 7, 2014 Globetrotting Gardener 1 Comment

Climbing roses and purple clematis cover the arch at the entrance to this stone cottage straight out of a fairy tale in a small fishing village of northern Brittany, France. More climbing roses cover the front of the house, although they have finished blooming for the summer, and yet more roses, old fashioned knockout roses, cover the hedge. Hydrangeas flourish in the shade of the side wall.

The photos above were taken in August. The ones below were taken in September when the roses were reblooming in a stunning display of color!

Cottage gardens

Roscanvel, Brittany Garden with Outdoor Fireplace

October 3, 2014 Globetrotting Gardener Leave a comment

This is a very traditional French country cottage garden with such features as climbing roses trellised over the hedge, hydrangea borders, mixed perennial borders, a collection of potted floral arrangements throughout the garden, and a brick outdoor fireplace.