Impressionist artist Claude Monet used his personal gardens at Giverny as inspiration for over five hundred of his works. After his death in 1926, his home and gardens were inherited by his youngest son, Michael. Following Michael Monet's death in 1966, a foundation was established to raise enough money, mostly provided by Americans, to restore the gardens for enjoyment by the public. Due to this restoration effort, today's artists, tourists and gardeners have an opportunity to draw inspiration with the design, color schemes and flower choices growing in the gardens.
Monet's house overlooks a one hectare (2 1/2 acres) walled garden called the Clos Normand. On either side of this central path there are multiple paths and rectangular flower beds. Most are laid out in straight lines with few curved edges. However, the overflowing blooms and foliage soften these lines with billowing forms. Trees and vertical elements of arbors and supports are used for climbing vines, such as clematis.
At the bottom of the garden is a wall. The willows and other trees on the other side of the wall surround Monet's famous water garden pond with lilies and the wisteria-draped arched bridge (to be featured in the next story).
Color schemes are sometimes harmonic while others are contrasting. Soft palettes of blue, pink and purple are mixed in some gardens, while others sport strong red, orange and yellow hues. With the gentle slope of the gardens down from the house, you can view the wide sweeps of color or take a close look at the individual blooms. Those who are familiar with Monet's paintings will recognize different views of the gardens.
Story and photos by Freda Cameron; Location: Giverny, France; May 2009
22 comments:
Hi Cameron, these gardens must have been hard to leave! The perspectives of the long flowered laden paths are like paintings themselves. Ahhhh.
Frances
Frances -- so true! I didn't want to leave. I told my husband that I wonder if they'd let me volunteer to be a gardener! :-)
The feeling there isn't like a grand estate or academic arboretum like so many gardens. It was really like wandering through a person's home garden (and house -- very cozy and livable). There are even chickens up by the house. I have a great photo of a rooster! The village is tiny and to walk down the lane to the Musee Impressionismes, you see the little gardens of neighboring cottages -- all pretty and colorful. I really wanted to strike up a conversation with one of the gardeners, but they were so busy and I'm sure my French wouldn't carry me through a garden conversation (unlike food -- I speak food in any language! LOL)
Cameron
These gardens are colorful, so inviting, just wonderful. Lovely garden paths leading you through a glorious palette of blooms. You captured this garden beautifully.
Hi Cameron
You know, I think you visited at the best time of year.
It does look informal and relaxed. The Clematis is really nice.
Rob
Janet -- it was not difficult to take 200+ photos, but it was difficult to decide which ones give the feel of the gardens. Glad you are enjoying this!
Rob -- I think it was a perfect time to visit. I could see peony buds everywhere, so that display is going to be soon and must be pretty spectacular.
I forgot to mention that the flower beds are planted so that the middle is higher (like low berms) to give a view of all the flowers. Monet designed it this way and it was repeated in the restoration. The restoration took 10 years as the gardens where neglected after WWII.
A very interesting place. It looks like they have different things growing on the long arches. In some cases it looks like different things on each side of one arch?
When I see a garden like that I imagine the army of gardeners it takes to maintain it.
Cameron, thanks for showing this lovely place.
Marnie
They sure are lovely, gardens we aspire to have in our own part of the world. I wonder why mainly Americans contributed to the foundation?
It's beautiful Cameron...and totally charming. I could spend many hours there! We visited Atelier Cezanne in Aix-en-Provence but it is very different form Jardin Giverny!
Gail
I love this photo and word journey to this garden. I didn't know the history of the garden or different areas. I think it would be wonderful to be able to visit the garden every month to see the seasons progress. I remember much more blue from the irises and brilliant orange, red and pink from poppies. Wouldn't it be great to see what type of structure the garden has in the winter?
Looks great in the spring. My only visit was the Fall, and it looked good then, but the bright greens & blooms now look splendid.
The gardens are such an inspiration. If you don't look at the size, but look at the combinations, those are very doable in our gardens.
The Musician and I have been working in the garden since coffee this morning. Stopped long enough for a sandwich and now we're back out there again. I came in to replenish our water.
Hope everyone is having a great gardening day!
Cameron
Those borders are so dramatic with the color combinations & the arches. I bet it smelled heavenly too. :)
Wow !
I would have been overwhelmed actually being there, just can't image it.
Lucky you.
Thanks for these most beautiful garden pictures.
Welcome back!
These are wonderful! I hope to visit there myself someday, it's on my lifetime list. Your pictures are great, my only question is, would it be possible to see them in a larger size? I would like to be able to try identify some of the flowers in the combinations.
Jenny P
I am really enjoying these posts! I feel like I'm there!
Jenny - you can click on the photos to see them slightly larger. I don't have enough storage space to publish them in a larger format. Sorry.
Cameron, What beauty! And What Inspiration! Are you gathering ideas for your own gardens?? I absolutely LOVE the pink clematis that frame the walkways... reminds me of wisteria and/or a pink grape arbor! Yes indeed. Your last photo does look as though it was painted. Are you sure you're not taking photos of paintings? ;-)
Shady - LOL! No, I just looked and I didn't take any photos of Monet's paintings -- cameras weren't allowed in the Impressionisme musee in Giverny. I didn't take any photos of Monet works in the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay or l'Orangerie. I did take a photo of the Mona Lisa and a lot of sculptures, especially Rodin at the Rodin Museum.
Cameron
Gorgeous! Cameron, did you happen to notice what kind of structure the pink clematis was growing on?
Stunning photos, Cameron ... like Frances said, it must have been hard to leave ;(
Cameron! Oh how these images bring me back!! I agree with your comment to Frances..I did feel like I was in a friends garden wandering about..can you believe I ran out of memory on my camera after only taking about a dozen photos!!!!!EEK..that is when I learned the lesson to carry an extra..anyhow...I was there in Aug./08 and I see the changes already made!!
Perhaps we can both live in Paris for a year and volunteer at Monet's
gardens!! sigh..aNNa
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