French Gardens

France Hotel Deals
Find the best deal, compare prices and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor

Secret Gardens of Paris Hidden behind the elegant facades and high walls of Paris are its private gardens. Whether grandiose or miniscule, highly manicured or exuberantly untended, these gardens are a secret treasure seldom seen by the visitor to Paris. This book reveals some 50 gardens, all created with passion by their owners, often in collaboration with well-known landscape designers. Each proprietor discusses the conditions in which the garden was created, the constraints and the problems that were encountered, and explains why the final design and plantings were chosen. The traditional French-style gardens, such as those of Hubert de Givenchy or Pierre Berg , are attached to private town houses, and their designs mirror the elegance and restraint of these classic dwellings. Romantic, picturesque potagers or kitchen gardens belonging to Yves Saint Laurent and others reflect their owners' taste for outdoor living. Tropical gardens with giant ferns and rare flowers, admirably tended oriental gardens, a Russian garden surrounding a little wooden hut, a Japanese garden that encourages meditation, these exotic hideaways allow us to discover other cultures. French Gardens.

Versailles: A Garden in Four Seasons The sumptuous palace and gardens of Versailles were designed to represent both Louis XIV's celebration of himself and a perfectly balanced integration of art and nature. Millions of tourists have long admired the gardens for their beauty and enduring mystery. The allees and parterres resonate with memories of pomps and promenades, feasts and follies. The solar symbolism of Apollo reigns over both architecture and ornament at Versailles, yet French classicism dominates the gardens, imposing a strict geometrical order on the forest, shaping the flowerbeds and boxwood, and brightening the woodsy depths with fountains and statuary. Photographer Jacques Dubois presents Versailles through the cycle of the seasons and the shifting intensities of their light. His evocative images show great facades, stone goddesses, flowers and pools, masks, columns, and towering trees transformed by the ever-shifting forces of nature. Brief essays provide historical perspective and insight into the development of this enduring landmark. This gorgeous book will be treasured by visitors to Versailles as well as any garden lover. French Gardens.

Gardens of the French Riviera The terraced hillsides, rocky capes, and secluded coves of the French Riviera provide some of the world's most spectacular garden settings, and its delightful climate has drawn legendary figures in the arts, literature, and international society since the eighteenth century. In this beautifully designed volume, Louisa Jones turns her gardening and literary talents to the magnificent gardens of the French Riviera, some beloved by visitors for over a century, but most private and hitherto unphotographed. The author's love of plants and gardening really shines through in the text that weaves history, charming anecdotes, and a detailed description of the gardens and plants featured, from the Rothschild villa to the rustic vigor of a well-tended olive grove. Abundantly illustrated with stunning photographs by Vincent Motte, and complete with a fully updated list of gardens to visit as well as a buyer's guide to the best nurseries and plant suppliers in the region, Gardens of the French Riviera is a marvelous gift for any garden lover planning to visit the South of France. French Gardens.

The Garden Lover's Guide to France (Garden Lover's Guides to Europe) A comprehensive guide to over 100 gardens in France, this volume includes information on: garden history; local climate; and nearby cultural sites of interest. It also features illustrated plans, and specially created tours with maps and directions.

Return To Tour France