Claude Monet wanted to extend his gardens at Giverny beyond the walls of his flower garden, Clos Normand. In the 1890s, he purchased adjacent property along a stream to create a pond and water garden.
To reach the pond, visitors walk through a tunnel beneath a road to reach the pathways leading to, and around, the water gardens. All along the shady paths, azaleas, rhododendron and other spring-flowering shrubs are in bloom in riotous colors of yellow, orange, pink and white. The textures of the weeping willows and the Japanese maple trees add to a sense of tapestry as you glance across the pond.
The arched, green Monet bridge is draped with the lavender wisteria that is depicted in so many of Monet's paintings. The famous water lilies float on the pond, but are not in bloom in spring - they will bloom in the summer.
When funds were raised to restore Monet's gardens, the pond had to be completely dug out again. The water gardens are a restoration interpretation, based upon Monet's his paintings and photographs. Liste des plantes et des fleurs du jardin de Claude Monet provides a list of plants in the gardens of Impressionist artist, Claude Monet.
We walked counterclockwise from the approach to Monet's bridge, waiting until we had circled the pond before crossing over it. This area of Monet's gardens is quiet, shady and so peaceful.
Story and photos by Freda Cameron; Location: Giverny, France; May 2009
25 comments:
Gosh Cameron, it seems like you picked the most perfect time to visit these gardens with the wisteria and azaleas in bloom. Seeing your photos makes my want to take up painting! :-)
Frances
It's truly beautiful, looks like you were there at peak.
Frances -- Monet grew his gardens to be subjects of his paintings. With your talent, go for it! A friend of ours used a few of my French village photos from last year as subjects for her paintings.
Tina -- When planning our trip for this year, I researched gardens all over France and the UK. Our window of travel is usually the first weeks in May, so Giverny's spring bloom coincided perfectly with our trip. Do all gardeners plan their vacations around what's in bloom at their destination? LOL
Cameron
How beautiful with the plants reflecting in the water! You must of been totally enchanted by all that beauty. :)
How inspiring to be surrounded by all that beauty. Your photos are works of art.
I notice they have changed a few things different from his paintings.
Marnie
Visited Giverny a number of years ago. Thanks for refreshing my memories!
Those scenes are simply breathtaking! What a delightful place to visit and photograph! Lucky you!
I appreciate it all but what really says 'tranquility' to me is all the pinks, mauves and large green leaves.
Is it possible to place a wisteria better than over a bridge, reflecting in a pond?
Rob
That's quite the sight. I didn't expect it to be THAT bright in spring. I was there in the Fall and there were such subtle colors. Gorgeous.
So, so pretty! How nice that you were there for the wisteria blooming. I have several pictures of that wisteria framed on my wall.
So gorgeous and such great photos! I am envious and hope to visit there someday.
I hope everyone gets a chance to visit there. I shouldn't have waited so many years.
We've been redesigning a section of our garden. My husband pulled the invasive variegated ligustrum (it took a story from Grumpy Gardener to convince him). Now, we have space for a garden bench by the waterfall. We're going plant shopping tomorrow!
You do seem to have visited at the perfect time, water lilies or no. I would have wanted to drift in a rowboat in that pond and just gaze at it all.
Hi Cameron, Did you sneak into the rowboat?? The photos are just wonderful. Are you able to keep watch on your footing? I'm afraid I'd run smack into a wall due to my wanting to devour all that beauty around me! Your last photo of the bridge was just perfect. Thanks again for taking us along! :-)
I didn't get in the rowboat, but one of the gardeners did. He was cleaning something out of the pond. I have photos of him in the rowboat. The paths had chains about knee high along the sides and I managed to avoid tripping over them!
Cameron, I just discovered you through FlowerGardenGirl, and am very happy that I arrived on Monet Day. Lovely photos and description of your visit--thank you!
This must be a HUGE garden!It looks like the same color of green on the house was used on the bridge. Isn't that wysteria beautiful...
It looks like you were there at the perfect time. This is a gorgeous garden!
I love the picture of the bridge covered with wisteria.
Amazing--just amazing.
Hi Cameron,
I've just read back through every post you wrote about your trip to Monet's garden. I find it fascinating that the funding for renovation after his son's death came mostly from Americans.
What a glorious time to visit and I have to tell you ... you captured it on film and with words that took me there. Your photos are exquisite. What marvelous colors and textures and beauty ... it would be so hard to take it all in at once.
So beautifully done. Thank you for sharing it!
Meems
I'm so glad that you enjoyed the "tour" of what we saw. I'm very pleased with this camera, even though it was a bit large and heavy to carry around all the time.
Thanks,
Cameron
Your last pond/bridge photo is exquisite, Cameron! All are stunning but that held my heart ... thank you for sharing both text and photos on this beautiful voyage.
Cameron: I want to go back!!!
Spring time is so much more colorful it seems than when I was there in Aug.Your photos are wonderful! I did several posts last year about my visit however did not have near the number of photos that you generously share!
Thank you for this walk down memory
lane with Monet and his gardens!!
Beautiful! I so happy for you that you get to go to France from time to time.
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