A new “Garden Visit” article on the Abbaye de Valsaintes has been published along with three new recommendations of “Gardens to Visit” in the Alpes de Haute-Provence, the Bouches-du-Rhône, and the Hérault.
Un nouvel article “Visite de jardin” sur l’Abbaye de Valsaintes a été publié ainsi que trois nouvelles recommandations de “Jardins à visiter” dans les Alpes de Haute-Provence, les Bouches-du-Rhône et l’Hérault.
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The gardens at Villa del Balbianello on the west coast of Lake Como are well worth a visit if you are in the region. The garden was originally created by Cardinal Durini, at the end of the eighteenth century, and more recently restored by Guido Monzino, the first Italian, to climb Mount Everest. He bequeathed the property, in 1988, to the Fondo Ambiente Italiano, the Italian National Trust, which now maintains the house and gardens.
Les jardins de la Villa del Balbianello, sur la côte ouest du lac de Côme, valent bien une visite si vous passez par là. Le jardin fut créé, au départ, par le cardinal Durini, à la fin du XVIIIème siècle, et Guido Monzino, le premier italien à faire l’ascension du Mont Everest, l’a récemment restauré. Il légua la propriété en 1988 au Fondo Ambiente Italiano, le National Trust italien, qui, maintenant, entretient la maison et les jardins.
There are good examples of both formal and informal topiary. Swags of Hedera helix are trained along old walls, drifts of clipped elaeagnus and rosemary cover and emphasize slopes and paths.
Il y a de beaux exemples de topiaires à la fois formels et informels. Une flopée d’Hedera helix grimpe le long des vieux murs, des myriades d’elaeagnus et de romarin taillé couvrent et soulignent les pentes et les allées.
The creeping fig, Ficus pumila, is left to grow freely into odd shapes. It is a small leafed fig which I find very attractive. It is not frost tolerant, unfortunately and I would put it into the same category as bougainvillea.
Le figuier rampant, Ficus pumila, pousse à sa guise, formant des silhouettes étranges. C’est un figuier à petites feuilles que je trouve très intéressant. Malheureusement, il n’est pas rustique et je le mettrai dans la même catégorie que le bougainvillée.
The strangest piece of topiary, completely out of place, is a ‘chimney’ of clipped Muehlenbeckia axillaris, a small-leaved evergreen climber native to New Zealand.
Le topiaire le plus étrange, vraiment pas à sa place, est une cheminée de Muehlenbeckia axillaris taillé, grimpante persistante à petites feuilles originaire de Nouvelle-Zélande.
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Florence is best known for its magnificent art treasures, but if you leave behind the crowded city centre, walk across the river to Oltrarno and head steeply upwards, you will find another treasure: the Bardini garden.
La ville de Florence est surtout connue pour ses trésors artistiques, mais il suffit de quitter le centre bondé de la cité, de traverser la rivière et de se diriger vers les hauteurs de l’Oltrarno pour trouver un autre trésor : le jardin Bardini.
City view / Florence vue d’en haut
Built on a very steep hillside, the garden was an agricultural domain in mediaeval times but has been transformed over the centuries into a pleasure garden in the Renaissance style. No doubt spring is the best time to visit, but even on a fine October day, there is plenty of colour and interest.
Construit sur le flanc d’une colline plongeante, le jardin fut domaine agricole au Moyen Age mais avec le temps, il est devenu jardin de plaisir dans le style de la Renaissance. Le printemps est sans doute le meilleur moment de visiter, mais même par une belle journée d’octobre, il y a beaucoup de couleurs et d’intérêt.
The garden has three elements, the first of which is the so-called English Wood. The trees are tall and mostly deciduous, extensively underplanted with a dense shrubbery of evergreens, predominantly bay (Lauris nobilis) which seems to flourish here, but also viburnum (Viburnum tinus) and myrtle (Myrtis communis). These in their turn are underplanted with Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, begonias and ivy-leaved geraniums. This being Italy, the whole is enhanced by a canal with dark flowing waters, Renaissance-style statues and large pots containing flowering impatiens in pastel colours. The overall effect is like being in a cool green cave. Birds sing all around.
Le jardin consiste en trois zones, dont la première s’appelle Le Bois Anglais. Les arbres sont grands, pour la plupart à feuillage caduc, A leur pied se trouve des arbustes persistants, principalement le laurier-sauce (Lauris nobilis), mais également le viburnum (Viburnum tinus), et la myrte (Myrtis communis), Sous les arbustes se trouvent Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, bégonias et géraniums-lierres. On est en Italie, donc le bois est agrémenté par un canal aux eaux noires, par des statues de style Renaissance et par des grandes potées plantées avec des impatiens de couleur pastel. C’est comme si on se trouve dans un grand caveau vert et frais. Tout autour, on entend des oiseaux qui chantent.
The centre of the garden is a magnificent Baroque staircase, built on a grand scale, which plunges down to the Arno and offers splendid views of Florence on the other side. At the top, behind the garden café, a tall rock-face is proof that plants can grow anywhere: its crannies harbour seedlings of Cotoneaster horizontalis, nepeta, valerian, Judas tree (Cercis siliquastrum), ivy and assorted wild-flowers. Next to the café there is a collection of camellias. Roses encircle a vegetable garden planned in curves along the hillside and containing artichokes, pumpkins, herbs and cabbage.
Au centre du jardin se trouve un magnifique escalier baroque qui descend vertigineusement vers l’Arno et offre des vues splendides de Florence de l’autre côté. Au sommet, derrière le café du jardin, un grand mur rocheux est preuve que les plantes peuvent pousser n’importe où : ses recoins abritent de nombreux jeunes plants : Cotoneaster horizontalis, népéta, valériane, arbre de Judée (Cercis siliquastrum), lierre et autres fleurs sauvages. A côté du café se trouve une collection de camellias. Des rosiers entourent un potager construit en cercles sur le flanc de la colline et qui contient des artichauts, des courges, des herbes culinaires et des choux.
To get to the foot of the hill, a path leads steeply down to the right, through a long arbour covered with wisteria and climbing Hydrangea petiolaris, sheltering a collection of Hydrangea macrophylla. From the arbour you can see a terraced orchard with espaliered and free-standing apple trees, bordered with Spiraea bumalda ‘Anthony Waterer’ and roses still in bloom, particularly Rosa chinensis, and several noisettes, Rosa ‘Blush Noisette’ (pale pink), Rosa ‘Lamarque’ (white with a touch of lemon) and the beautiful Rosa ‘William Allen Richardson’ (pale yellow). The noisette roses all have a wonderful fragrance.
Un chemin pentu descend à droite vers le bas de la colline, abrité par une longue tonnelle couverte de wistaria et de Hydrangea petiolaris grimpant. A l’intérieur, on trouve une collection d’Hydrangea macrophylla. A l’extérieur de la tonnelle, on voit un verger en terrasses planté de pommiers dont les uns sont en espalier et d’autres sont isolés. Le verger est bordé de Spiraea bumalda ‘Anthony Waterer’ et par des rosiers en fleur, en particulier Rosa chinensis, et des noisettes, Rosa ‘Blush Noisette’ (fleur rose pâle), Rosa ‘Lamarque’ (fleur blanche au centre jaune) et la très belle Rosa ‘William Allen Richardson’ (fleur jaune pâle). Les noisettes exhalent toutes un parfum exquis.
The Baroque staircase is wide and terraced, with a wall on one side and a hedge on the other. The stairs themselves are flanked with statues, while the terraces are grassed, with beds planted with a fine mixture of irises, candytuft (Iberis sempervirens), roses, dahlias and agapanthus. It’s a long climb to the top.
L’escalier baroque est large, en terrasses, avec un mur d’un côté et une haie de l’autre. Les marches sont bordées de statues et les terrasses sont en partie gazonnées, en partie plantées d’un mélange d’iris, d’ibéris (Iberis sempervirens), de rosiers, de dahlias et d’agapanthes. La remontée vers le sommet est longue et pénible.
There are two more gardens of note in Oltrarno: the celebrated Boboli gardens (though these probably require a whole day) and a charming hillside rose garden, the Giardino delle Rose, best visited in spring and summer, though there are still roses to be seen in October. There is also the Giardino Torrigiani, a privately-owned garden which will arrange guided tours on request.
Il y a deux autres jardins intéressants dans l’Oltrarno : le célèbre jardin de Boboli (qui nécessite probablement une journée entière) et le Giardino delle Rose, une charmante roseraie construite elle aussi au flanc de la colline. Sans doute à son mieux au printemps et en été, ce jardin est toujours bien fleuri en octobre. Il y a également un jardin privé, le Giardino Torrigiani, qui offre des visites guidées sur rendez-vous.
Text: Michèle Bailey Photos: Ian Davis & Michèle Bailey
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This huge and modern garden stretches out across the slopes of Mount Troja, on the edge of the city. It is sub-divided into gardens of different styles and types.
Ce jardin moderne et immense s’étale sur les pentes du Mont Troja à l’extérieur de la ville. Il est aménagé en sous-ensembles paysagers ou à thèmes.
Surrounding Troja Castle, is the restored historic vineyard of Sainte Claire.
Le vignoble historique reconstitué de Sainte Claire entoure le château de Troja.
The Mediterranean garden lies on a sunny slope criss-crossed by small paths. Access to the plants is easy and amongst both well-known and less familiar plants we found some which are hardy to -20°C. This section of the garden was recommended by Olivier Filippi in his latest book, La méditerranée dans votre jardin.
Le jardin méditerranéen occupe une pente ensoleillée parcourue de petits sentiers. L’accès aux plantes est aisé. Et parmi des plantes connues ou moins connues nous avons découvert celles qui résistent à des températures de -20°C. Cette partie nous avait été recommandée par Olivier Filippi (cf son dernier livre, La méditerranée dans votre jardin.).
The delightful Japanese garden, with its collection of maples and other Japanese trees, has been set out according to symbolic principles on an extensive and undulating site. Only Cornus kousa was in bloom when we visited the garden.
Le jardin japonais est agréable, avec sa collection d’érables et d’autres arbres originaux sur un grand espace vallonné et symboliquement aménagé. Seul, le Cornus kousa était en fleurs à la date de notre visite.
The ornamental garden was in full flower, with many more blooms in bud.
Le jardin ornemental était déjà bien fleuri. De prochaines floraisons se préparaient.
As you walk along the hundreds of metres of trails you come across an area dedicated to melliferous plants and bees, a section reserved for irises, a large meadow lined with peonies, a plateau dedicated to cacti and succulents, a lake edged with planted banks and not forgetting the garden displaying plants for shade. The way back to the entrance takes one through wonderful trees. An arboretum occupies several hectares and includes an area dedicated to East Asian biotopes and another to North American trees.
En parcourant les sentiers sur des centaines de mètres, on rencontre une zone consacrée aux plantes mellifères et aux abeilles, un massif réservé aux iris, une large prairie bordée de pivoines, un plateau consacré aux cactées et succulentes, un lac avec ses plantations pour berges, sans oublier le jardin des plantes d’ombre. Le retour se fait parmi des grands arbres. Une forêt consacrée aux biotopes de l’est asiatique, une autre aux biotopes nord-américains, et un arboretum occupent plusieurs hectares.
Finally, in an outlying area, we discovered the Fata Morgana tropical greenhouse. Thanks to a particularly successful construction, embedded into a slope which allows for terraced planting, the greenhouse is able to display the plants in a simulation of their natural environment. Successively, classified according to their climate zone, one walks through plants from arid regions, then from luxuriant tropical rainforests and finally plants from high subtropical mountains.
Enfin, un peu excentrée, on découvre la luxuriante serre tropicale Fata Morgana. Grâce à un aménagement particulièrement réussi, sur plusieurs niveaux, partiellement creusée dans la roche, elle met en scène les plantes exposées, en reconstituant leur environnement naturel. On découvre successivement, classées selon leur climat, les plantes des zones arides, puis des forêts tropicales luxuriantes, et enfin de haute montagne subtropicale.
The different areas of the garden are connected by paths bordered with planting in harmoniously colours
Les différentes zones du jardin sont reliées par des chemins harmonieusement fleuris.
Throughout the garden, plant labelling is outstanding. Each plant has a label with the Czech name and the botanical name. The journey from the city centre is easy, by metro then a bus and refreshment facilities are available. This is an exceptional garden, not to be missed if you visit Prague.
Dans tout le jardin, l’étiquetage est remarquable : chaque plante a son étiquette avec le nom tchèque et le nom latin. Le trajet est aisé depuis le centre ville, en métro puis en bus. Et on peut manger sur place. C’est un jardin d’exception, à ne pas rater, si on visite Prague
Text and photos: Monique Mirès and Claudette Beneluz Translation into English: Roland Leclercq
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Wherever I travel at home and abroad I prioritise visiting the local botanic gardens. In September 2016 I was fortunate to visit the south coast of France and stay in the old city of Montpellier a few minutes’ walk from the Jardin des Plantes.
It is France’s oldest botanic garden, established in 1593 under the leadership of Pierre Richer de Belleval, professor of botany and anatomy at the University of Montpellier (established 1289). It is the second oldest in the world, inspired by the Orto Botanico di Padova, the very first university botanical garden established in 1545 in Padua, Italy, and in turn used as a model for the botanic garden in Paris which was established in 1626. The garden in Montpellier, as in Padua, was established and maintained by the Faculty of Medicine to provide resources for students studying plants used in traditional medicine and this led to the development of the scientific disciplines of botany, medicine and pharmacy.
Largely destroyed in 1622 during the siege of Montpellier, the garden was restored in 1629 and underwent further remodelling and expansion in the 19th century; the orangerie was completed in 1804, the arboretum landscaped in 1810 and the English garden with a Nelumbo pond and greenhouse dates from 1859.
On entering the 4.5 hectare garden Margaret Beard and I were disappointed to find that around half of it, including the orangerie, was fenced off with signs indicating that these areas were awaiting renovation. We were there at the end of a long, hot and very dry summer and the plants were in need of rain, better labelling and more loving care. However, as we wandered along the paths, past architectural ruins and through shaded avenues of venerable trees the garden began to weave its magic and it was rewarding to discover many new and some familiar Mediterranean climate plants. It was very clear that this important historic garden is desperately under resourced although there were a few sections of the garden which had been recently renewed.
The oldest tree in the garden is a Phillyrea latifolia in the family Oleacea, hence its common name of green olive tree. This specimen is over 400 years old and the deep fissures in its trunk have been used for centuries by visitors to deposit secrets, prayers and love letters. There is also a mature male Ginkgo biloba, planted from a cutting in 1795, and grafted with female branches in 1830 which later produced the first ever seeds in France.
The arboretum contains many other fine old trees including representatives of the genera acer, celtis, cupressus, maclura, quercus, and zelkova.
Twenty five of “les beaux arbres” in the garden were identified with information boards describing their characteristics and culture which we were able to roughly translate, greatly enhancing our appreciation of these ‘beautiful trees’. Montpellier has a climate and topography very similar to that of Adelaide, as noted by Sir Samuel Davenport, (founder of the olive oil industry in South Australia and member of the board of the Adelaide Botanic Garden) in his letters home during the 1840s. It is interesting to compare this ancient garden and its collections with our own new Garden of Health in the Adelaide Botanic Garden.
Text and photos: Merilyn Kuchel, South Australia MGS