Parc Floral De La Source
This garden, which won the best park in France competition in 2003, is a joy. I went to this garden in the spring when there was a fabulous display of Iris both in the garden and in a very imaginative structure where they were displayed nearer head height so that you could get a closer view at the fantastic colours and markings of the iris' on display. ( see photo below)
The park is very large with lots of imaginatively laid out beds, a rose garden (below) which wasn't in flower when we went but was underplanted with lots of clumps of chives giving the whole bed spring interest and making me determined to use chives much more in my own garden as they really did look very effective.
Some very large borders at the Parc Floral de la Source were packed with plants waiting to burst into colour in summer and I hope to return to see this in the near future. The potager was fabulous and staffed with gardeners keen to pass on knowledge and advice, for example chop up leaves of some of your aromatic herbs and scatter around the base of plants susceptible to slugs and snails as they don't like the herbs strong scent.
Parc Floral de la Source
The garden contains a natural collection of Clematis d'Arnaud Travers, a fern garden, collection of dahlias, iris garden, large 'English style' herbacious borders, tree ferns, imaginative potager, butterfly house and for children a small animal and bird centre, climbing frames and a tourist train.
This is one of the best gardens I have visited in France and highly recommended.
Parc Floral de la Source
Garden Guide:
The garden is open:
From the beginning of April to the middle of October: every day from 10h to 19h
From mid October to the end of March:every day from 14h to 17h
The garden is situated close to Orleans
Address: Parc Floral de la Source
45072 Orléans Cedex 02
Tel: 02 38 49 30 00