I have decided to be romantic ok, and talk about gardens; we have many beautiful ones and some are well known. I like to update this monumental task to remember my dear late wife Martine who was the inspiring gardener who took me to so many of these. I am no expert but will try go give a general description on them. Let me tell you about my favorite gardens of the Île de France region of France !!
Now , let me tell you my stories on them. Briefly ok, because it can be long stories, lol !
Thoiry. is a castle and open air zoo but it has beautiful gardens of the castle and a great labyrinth ,the English style garden, a flower prairie , a hill of roses, garden of rhododendrons, garden of perfumes and garden of autumn. It’s a bit awkward in going there from Paris, I have been there by car. Thoiry on the gardens: https://thoiry.net/animations-vip/decouvrez-le-chateau-de-thoiry-et-ses-jardins-remarquables
More noble,the parc du Bois de Préau in Rueil-Malmaison, was a property of Imperatrice Joséphine and she has a statue there. It is a real English style garden of 17 hectares. It has rare centenary trees like the hazelnut of Byzance or the common charme, the Corsican pine, or the giant sequoia. TheChâteau de Bois-Préau remind us of the time of the Emperor in Sainte Hélène and the return of his ashes to Paris. it was the last acquisition of Joséphine, where she house her doctor and has many memorable objects. After her death in 1814, many owners went by until purchase in 1920 by the American couple Tuck that eventually did a donation of it in 1926 to the national museums of France to create an annex to the Château de Malmaison. Webpage: https://www.rueil-tourisme.com/en/discover-rueil-malmaison/heritage-culture/parks-and-gardens/park-and-ch%C3%A2teau-bois-preau
Then, I take you to tranquil surrounding of an old abbey. This is the medieval Abbey of Royaumont. There is a garden and a cloister, vegetable garden and a long canal. It is all in 6 hectares with many signs of medieval times. The Cistercian monks of the 13C were master of the hydraulic canalization to bring the water to the one point in the monastery. Today there are medicinal plants from the middle ages still there and shape in 1912 into a French style garden with renaissance lawns. There is a vegetable garden or potager of 160 varieties of vegetables, 3000 plants, and 60 fruit trees! Abbey webpage : https://www.royaumont.com/en/decouvrir-labbaye/the-monument/
The Arboretum de Chèvreloup, is handle by the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle. Here in more than 200 hectares you can discover over 2500 species and varieties of trees with the best collection of western Europe. This is practically attach to Versailles, it was part of the domaine and even king Louis XIV planted trees there; after the French revolution it was split and now is a stand along park, It was one of my hangouts when in town, webpage: https://www.arboretumdeversailleschevreloup.fr/fr/plan-visite-2485
Since 1766 the students of the veterinary school of Alfort have their own botanical garden and you can visit it in groups to discover toxic plants and medicinal plants, This is at 7 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, Maisons-Alfort in Val de Marne dept94 contact; musee@vet-alfort,fr botanical garden webpage : https://www.vet-alfort.fr/domaine-d-alfort/jardin-botanique/presentation
The Jardin botanique de Luzarches or botanical and it’s 2500 plants awaits you and do not missed the purple oak dating from the 18C. The garden is open on weekends. Tourist office of dept 95 Val d’Oise on the botanical gardens: https://www.valdoise-tourisme.com/fiches/jardin-botanique/
The national conservatory of plants of perfumes, medicinal, aromatics and industrials or Conservatoire National des Plantes à Parfum, Médicinales, Aromatiques et Industrielles welcomes you to its greenhouse garden center, botanical garden , agronomic center and interpretation center with a sensorial walk into it’s collections of more than 1500 species , completed with a museographer presentation. Located in an old plant dryer building you will be walk into the history of plants ,their origins and their daily use. This is at Route de Nemours, 91490 Milly-la-foret (Essonne 91). Webpage : https://www.cnpmai.net/fr/visites-animations-boutique/visite-tourisme-gatinais/
In one of the best medieval towns in the region or even France, that of Provins in Seine-et-Marne 77, you have a beautiful Rosary or Rosarie, where you will see, know, and learn about the old and new roses of our world. City of Provins tourist office webpage : https://provins.net/en/discover-visit/nature-soul-of-the-gardens/the-provins-rose-garden/
If you like contemporary art, then go to these two. Rentilly you need to go .The cultural park of Rentilly or Parc culturel de Rentilly ,and it castle offers every year expositions , webpage : https://www.marneetgondoire.fr/parc-culturel-de-rentilly-michel-chartier/le-parc-268.html
Or the Domaine de Chamarande , the expositions and spectacles, shops on the program with the opportunity to visit a wonderful garden paysagiste ; located at 38, rue du Commandant Arnoux , 91730 Chamarande. Webpage : https://chamarande.essonne.fr/a-voir-a-faire/decouvrir-les-balades-du-jardin/
There is a wonderful garden and beautiful castle, need to be visit more. A magnificent park of 75 hectares with botanical curiosities such as a labyrinth and a playground. The Chateau de Breteuil was built on a hill overlooking the natural regional park of the valley of the Chevreuse or Parc Naturel Régional de la Vallée de Chevreuse. There is a French style garden there over 400 years with a lake glass of water,and parterres of ifs trees and nicely cut shrubs while the Castle garden are in the English style on one of the lawns looking at the Chevreuse valley or Vallée de Chevreuse. There are massive rhododendrons in flower trees in the Spring, for wonderful bicycle trails in autumn and a promenade that takes you to two lakes with plenty of ducks. In the vestiges of a plantation dating from the 18C are now terraces Italian style with the oldest the current prince gardens or Jardin des Princes with a nice collection of plants, trees, and flowers around a vegetable garden and a pergola covered with roses in spring. In another terrace, you have the the laberynth with 1000 shrubs or the labyrinthe aux 1000 buis, opened in 2000, and a current interpretation of the forest lost of the 19C. Castle and gardens webpage: https://www.breteuil.fr/en/the-gardens-of-chateau-de-breteuil/
In the regional natural park of the upper valley of the Chevreuse or the Parc Naturel Régional de la Haute Vallée de Chevreuse, you have the wonderful semi private Château de Saint-Jean de Beauregard , always sought after for its wonderful gardens. The Castle has seven courses and the park and garden French style in a perfect square where you find the Chapel, commons areas, stables, vegetable garden , pigeonier , orangerie, freezer, and pigeons cellars , all the element for life in the 17C. The Domain ofSaint-Jean de Beauregardis a family owned property inhabited year around with the current owners showcasing their gardens. Their passion allowed for the creation of the first festival of plants or Fête des Plantes in 1984 becoming one of the main garden events in France. The pigeon house or pigeonnier of Saint-Jean de Beauregard is one of the biggest in the region of Île-de France with 12 meters high and a bending roof , a must on the visit. One of the best vegetable gardens since the 17C, the flower garden here is one of the rare that have survived to our days; it has 2 hectares with flowers, fruits and vegetables rare or hard to find. The walk is very nice and allowed you see wonderful trees and grape green houses , fruit trees etc. Part of the park has been changed into a garden English style early 20C allowing the creation of a lake and new tree species such as oaks, etc. Castle webpage: http://www.chateaudesaintjeandebeauregard.com/en/
One of the best known rosaries is the one at Hay les Roses or Roseraie de l’Haÿ les Roses, today more known as the rosary of the Marne valley or Roseraie du Val de Marne. It is located at Rue Albert Watel L’Hay Les Roses Val de Marne dept 94, It has the most important collection of old roses in the world! They were made and designed by Edouard André,a well known gardener of the 19C upon the request of an avid collector Jules Gravereaux. Webpage : https://roseraie.valdemarne.fr/english-version/discover-the-roseraie
The park of the Champs Castle or the Parc du Château de Champs in Champs-sur-Marne, dept 77 Seine-et-Marne is a wonderful garden with a Castle. Garden started in 1710 due to Claude Desgots a grand nephew of the master André le Nôtre that followed his principals very well. A big axe with basins and sculptures, a big alley along the wall of the property, lawns in the middle and bordered with trees, parterres and division of small forests with transversal alleys; however, the lawn surface are more and closer to the castle. This is one of the best preserved garden and castle combination in the region, and only 18 km from Paris. National Monuments on the castle/garden: https://www.chateau-champs-sur-marne.fr/en/
Another one in the good department 77 … we have the Templars commanders garden or the Jardin de la Commanderie des Templiers. It’s a center of culture and history of the commanderie of Templars with a medieval inspiration in Coulommiers (also another good Brie cheese area AOP) , the garden is composed of square borders of chesnut trees. The plants were chosen and raised taken example of miniatures from the middle ages and old maps of the abbey of Saint-Gall. They are vegetables, aromatic and medicinal plants that today serve to raise funds for the center. This is a great place to visit for the history of the Templars and the gardens, The Coulommiers Brie country local tourist office on the garden: https://www.coulommierspaysdebrie-tourisme.fr/offre-touristique/727340-jardin-medieval-commanderie-templiers/
Another wonderful castle and garden in my beloved Seine-et-Marne 77 is the castle of Ferriéres or Château de Ferrières and its old park, former owned by a certain Rothschild. The park passed by many gardeners and botanical folks until in 1854 an English architect and gardener Joseph Paxton upon the request of James de Rothschild,gave it the look we see today. The castle and garden were done again with lakes and streams with bridges done like harbors like the one at the island or Île d’Amour,love island surrounded by trees, lovely indeed. It is now private functions castle such as wedding but you can inquire about visiting the gardens and its ok, Castle webpage: http://www.chateaudeferrieres.com/histoire-du-chateau
At the heart of the departemental domain of the wolves valley or the Domaine départemental de la Vallée aux Loups you can discovered another interesting arboretum with over 500 species of trees on 12 hectares. This is a park done on the English style with small ornamental construction called factories to surprise all along the walk. It was created by the pharmacist of Napoléon I facing the property of Chateaubriand in the park with many rare trees . In 1890, it changed owner to a gardener who re arranged the arboretum with lakes and suspended bridges as well as kiosks and factories while cultivating the essences of the Americas and Asia today over 100 years old trees such as China poplar, hairy oak trees , myrsine oak, heavy wood pine and a weeping blue cedar of 680 m2 in diameter that can be look on the lake reflexes. Here do not missed the house of Chateaubriand where he lived and where he writes the first chapters of his memories of the grave or ‘Mémoires d’Outre-tombe’, with welcome visits, conferences and expositions. Located at 46 rue de Chateaubriand / avenue Jean Jaures, Chatenay-Malabry (92 dept Hauts-de-Seine). You are best by car direction rue Eugène Sinet on your GPS. At the end of this street is the intersection with rue de Chateaubriand: opposite, a public car park accessible all day; on the left, the house of Chateaubriand (whose entrance gate is a hundred meters further on, right side), webpage : https://vallee-aux-loups.hauts-de-seine.fr/l-arboretum/histoire-et-botanique
We come to a wonderful garden castle. This is the Château d’Ambleville with a feudal origins, gardens in three terraces inspired from the Villa Gamberaia in Florence, Italy and the portraits of Villa Arthena in Rome. A corner of Italy in the region of Île de France, the sun garden or Jardin du Soleil is a huge chessboard, the moon garden or jardin de la Lune with 6 statues of the times, and the Eyes garden or Jardin de l’Oeil taking you to four rooms of greens, Italy at your feet. The city of Ambleville on the castle/garden : http://www.ambleville.org/decouvrir-ambleville/sites-monuments/le-chateau/
One of my favorites is the gardens in the donjon castle of La Roche Guyon, in the same dept 95 Val d’Oise. This is a French style garden with a vegetable garden or the Jardin Potager du Château de La Roche Guyon . It has four parterres or square lawns divided into 32 triangular parcels with octagonal alleys, a central basin in each square and fruit trees bordering them. At the time, around 1740, the garden had 675 trees of which 442 pears, 143 apples, some of peach and prunes. After a long period of neglect the garden has had a revival to find its initial vocation of the 18C by the owner La Rochefoucauld ; a space of production and experimental agro, where seeds and biodiversity are a primary place all around a central garden. Do not missed the castle and especially the underground cellars famous from WWII. Webpage: https://www.chateaudelarocheguyon.fr/le-potager-fruitier/
Another wonderful garden, moat and domain that I love going with my family for their medieval market days is the parc de Villarceaux with 63 hectares of walks and the mansion or Manoir de Ninon, renaissance style and the high castle or Château du Haut in the Classical style. Beautiful views, alignments and water basins. The domaine de Villarceaux (which includes all of the before mentioned) is a must in the area even if by car is a must to visit; take the A13 direction Rouen to exit/sortir 11 at Mante Est,and follow direction Beauvais and you will begin to see signs for Villarceaux at Chaussy. You have gorgeous gardens, terraces and water basins all around you and history of course. Domaine webpage :https://villarceaux.iledefrance.fr/
The official gardens in all of France,just go « selectionnez une région « and go to Île de France: https://www.parcsetjardins.fr/jardins/carte#resultats
There you go folks, a wonderful gardens of the Île de France post, I wanted to show you and update long ago, These brings lots of wonderful family memories for us here. I hope with this post for you to enjoy them too and maybe one day visit them too. All worth the detour me think. I do have some individual posts on some of them in my blog,
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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