French Gardens

Gardens in France > > les Jardins du Grand Courtoiseau

Winner of the fourth prize in the  "Best Park in France 2005 competition", and third prize in 2004.

This garden was also a prize winner in the 1993 French Horticultural Society awards, won the 2005 "Cour de Coeur" by Horticultural Garden Reporters and was nominated a "Jardin Remarquable" in 2004.

This garden covers about 6 acres and has a series of gardens within it. The main colours used are blue, yellow and pink.

Like many French gardens topiary is used to stunning effect. In the fawn garden (le jardin du faune) yew hedges are shaped and cut to enclose the garden in lots of compartements and these are then filled with English roses, alliums, agapanthus and lots more. The overall effect is a stunning, modern outlook on the traditional French-style garden.

Like many of the most successfull gardens the overwhelming colour is green with other colours standing out jewel-bright against the rich backdrop.

As well as the fawn garden (named after a statue of a fawn), there is  a wolf garden, so named for the fountain head which is a stone wolf's head. This garden is packed with hostas (one of my personal favourites).

Also in the garden is an Italien garden, an exotic garden, a well garden and lots more.

Garden Guide:

The garden is open from 1st April to 31 October 14h30 to 18h00 everyday except Tuesday and Wednesday (unless these are public holidays). On Sundays and public holidays you can take a guided tour at 15h00.

This garden is situated about an hour and a half south of Paris, to the east of Chartres and Orleans.

Address:

Manoir du Grand Courtoiseau,
45220 Triguères
www.grand-courtoiseau.fr

Tél: 06 80 24 10 83