Inspiration from French roundabouts & Chaumont chateau

Driving through France recently – on my way to visit family and give a talk on ‘coppicing’ to a gardening club – I had great fun photographing ‘les ronds points Anglais’ I think these could become a subject of another gardening club talk.

On the way we took a detour through the Loire valley to the ‘Chaumont garden festival’.  This was my second visit to this very conceptual garden event.

http://www.domaine-chaumont.fr      –> Festival des jardins  –> Visite

French roundabouts and civic plantings tend to use a backbone of shrubs along with herbaceous perennials and ornamental grasses which make them more environmentally friendly rather than relying completely on seasonal bedding plants which are raised under glass and often with heat.  Quite often vegetables plants are included too (for example Rainbow chard, kale and cabbages) which I think offer a pleasant element of surprise.

grapes
A vineyard radiating out from one side of the roundabout and a lavender field on the other side –  the tradition of the area is handed to the ‘passer by’

caen
Rocks and sculpture provide a sense of drama hinting at a turbulent past, low shrub maintenance planting softens the scene.

topiary & bedding
A bit too formal for my liking but well done using annuals, ornamental grasses and herbaceous perennials.

thyme & roses
Bold use of thyme, a good combination with roses, great for insects too