Visit les Jardins du Grand Courtoiseau
The Jardins du Grand Courtoiseau are situated in Triqueres in the Loiret department of Central France.
Explore the Jardins du Grand Courtoiseau
The gardens were the 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.
The gardens have developed around a 17th century manor house. The 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 compartments 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 successful 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).
Former moats on either side of the manor house have been turned into gardens. One is the Italien garden which features a series of diamond shaped ponds planted with hostas, iris, ferns, euphorbia and ligularias. Another moat contains the exotic garden, home to bamboos, hydrangeas, viburnum and lots of plants with impressive leaf shapes.
A well covered in roses provides a key feature of the well garden which also has borders packed with roses and lots of perennial plants.
The Jardins du Grand Courtoiseau garden guide
The garden is open from mid May to 31 October 14.00 to 18.00 everyday except Tuesday.
A visit costs 10 euros for adults and is free to under 12s.
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
Gardens to visit nearby
Also in the Loiret department is the Arboretum des Barres which is particularly worth visiting in spring and autumn. Another arboretum nearby is the Arboretum des Grandes Bruyeres with a National Collection of many trees.
You can find more local travel ideas in the Central France guide,
Map of les Jardins du Grand Courtoiseau and places to visit
les Jardins du Grand Courtoiseau places to visit
Arboretum des Barres
The Arboretum des Barres contains one of the top ten collections of trees in the world!
Arboretum des Barres guide
Arboretum des Grandes Bruyeres
The Arboretum des Grandes Bruyeres is a beautiful park and garden with the National Collection of many trees.
Arboretum des Grandes Bruyeres guide
Le Jardin de Marie
The Jardin de Marie in Neuilly-en-Sancerre is a beautiful garden with a mass of flowers
Le Jardin de Marie guide
Parc Floral De La Source
The Parc Floral de la Source is an excellent large park full of imaginatively laid out themed gardens
Parc Floral De La Source guide
Jardin de Chantal et Alain
The Jardin de Chantal et Alain is a prize winning garden in an English style with lots of roses and viburnums.
Jardin de Chantal et Alain guide
Les Jardins de Roquelin
The Jardins de Roquelin is a pretty rose garden particularly worth visiting in June when the roses are in flower.
Les Jardins de Roquelin guide
