When Normandy is in bloom

Monet's Japanese Bridge at his beloved lily pond  (wikipedia)

NORMANDY, FRANCE -- In 1883,  Claude Monet moved to the tiny village of Giverny and established one of the most famous gardens in France. Today, thanks to the warming effects of the Gulf Stream and ever changing weather patterns alternating between rich sunshine and soaking rain, the French region of Normandy region of France is an agricultural wonderland where Giverny is only the beginning.

Clos Normand at Giverny is a rainbow in bloom year-round
(Taylor)

Lower Normandy features dozens of gardens filled with all manner of colors and forms ranging from knot gardens, to sweeping parklands to arboretums and rare tropical collections. Mix in hundreds of manor houses and chateaux from Caen to Cherbourg and you have a recipe for landscaping treasures at their finest.

The gardens at Chateau de Canon seem to beckon visitors to
draw near  (cherbourg tourism)

 The Gardens of Château de Canon: Château de Canon’s expansive 37 acre gardens express their originality in the period statues and follies that adorn the lawns, trails, ponds and waterfalls. Among the garden’s attractions you will discover the neoclassical Temple de la Pleureuse, the Mirror of Glass pond, a Chinese Pagoda and the magnificent "Chartreuse" with a dozen separate walled sections or "chambres" that once harbored Canon’s espaliered fruit trees. 

Opening times:

April, May, June and September: Every day except Tuesday from 2 pm to 6 pm

July and August: Every day from 10:30 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm
Château de Canon, 14270 MEZIDON-CANON

Hidden gazebo at Chateau de Vendeuvre  (calvados tourism)

 The Gardens of Château de Vendeuvre: Château de Vendeuvre has the benefit of viewing four gardens in a single visit: a perfect jardin à la française, the Utility Garden with its pyramidal ice-house, the water gardens (prepare to get wet) and the recently created Exotic Garden.  Featuring rare trees, countless topiaries, a host of ornamental constructions, fountains and ponds, tropical and aquatic plants, there’s almost too much to see in one visit.

The formal gardens of the 18th century château on the edge of the Pays d’Auge are the inspiration of the present day Count of Vendeuvre. The classic lay-out is strictly symmetrical with scrolling designs that are accented by gravel reserves and box hedges set in the lawns.

Opening times:

April: Every day from 2 pm to 6 pm

May to September: Every day from 11 am to 6 pm

October: Sunday, school breaks and public holidays: from 

2 pm to 6 pm

Château de Vendeuvre, 14170 VENDEUVRE

Brecy was favored by many French authors
(calvados tourism)

The Gardens of Château de Brécy: Brécy’s park is one of the best conserved 17th-century parcs à la française in France. Designed by architect François Mansart in the late 1600s, the house, terraces, gateways and ornamental statuary form a harmonious ensemble. You’ll discover topiaries, two-headed stone dogs and artichoke-shaped fountains.

Novelist, Jacques de Lacretelle, restored the boxwood knot garden in 1958. Another French author, Jean de la Varende, was struck by the garden’s "inexplicable magnificence." If France’s famous literary sons struggled to put Brécy’s splendor into words then perhaps we shouldn’t try – simply enjoying the experience is enough.

Opening times:

From Easter to All Saints: Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday and public holidays from 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm (plus Saturday in June)

Château de Brécy, 14480 SAINT-GABRIEL-BRECY

Les Sources d'Elle Gardens links a series of pond derived from
the River Elle  (en.wikipedia.org)

Les Sources d'Elle Gardens: The name of this series of ponds is derived from the River Elle which begins its meandering journey here among 90 acres of woods and flower-filled meadows. Long a favorite place for fishermen, this vast arboretum is well worth a visit, especially in May and June for the flowering rhododendron, and from June to October for the wildflower meadows.

Opening times:

March to October: Every day from 7:30 am to 7 pm

Parc des Sources d'Elle, Rouxeville 50810 SAINT-GERMAIN-D'ELLE

Vauville's exotic botanical gardens feature 1200 species of southern-hemisphere plants  (wikimedia.org)

The Botanical Gardens of Château de Vauville: Situated just a stone’s throw from the west coast of the Cherbourg 

peninsula, an exotic botanical garden at Château  deVauville surrounds the property with 12th-century origins. Ten acres of gardens, created in 1947 by the Pellerin family, are home to more than 1,200 species of southern-hemisphere plants.

Many tropical species thrive due to the Gulf Stream’s warming effects. Here visitors encounter eucalyptus, gunneras, echiums, 

bamboos, azaleas, amaryllis, rhododendron as well as France's

most northerly palm trees. 

This bud's for you
(jardin-vauville.fr)

The nearby 150 acre Vauville Nature Reserve is also well worth a visit. This natural heathland is a haven for wild birds including woodcock, mallard duck and warblers.

Opening times:

April to June and September to October: Every day from 
2 pm to 6 pm

July and August: Every day from 2 pm to 7 pm

Château de Vauville, 50440 VAUVILLE

Chateau Ravalet now belongs to the city of Cherbourg
(cherbourg tourism)

The Park of the Château des Ravalet: Vicomte René de Tocqueville, the nephew of noted French aristocrat, diplomat and political scientist, Alexis de Tocqueville,  restored this park in 1872  creating  35 acres of French/English-style landscapes. 

Abundant wildlife is a feature
of Ravalet  (cherbourg tourism)

The well-preserved Renaissance château now belongs to the town of Cherbourg, and visitors flock to appreciate the water features, exotic species, meadows and beach woods that surround it. A superb 19th-century rotunda glasshouse is one of the many treasures. The Mandala Garden and the Island Meadow are recent additions by French botanist, Gilles Clément. 

Opening times:

January, November and December: Weekends and public holidays

February: 8:30 am to 6 pm

March and October: 8 am to 6:30 pm

April and September: 8 am to 7 pm

May, June, July and August: 8 am to 8 pm

Château des Ravalet, 50110 CHERBOURG-EN-COTENTIN

Nacqueville has ties with Alexis de Tocqueville
(normandie tourism)

The Park of the Château de Nacqueville: Château de Nacqueville bears yet another link to Alexis de Tocqueville who described it as “one of the prettiest places on Earth." Never mind that the landscaping was competed by de Tocqueville's brother

Tocqueville's brother did
the landscaping
(normandie tourisim)

Hippolyte, the 16th-century manor house with its charming gothic gatehouse is surrounded by a manicured landscape of lawns and beech woods complete with a meandering stream that spills into a shimmering lake. Rhododendron, azaleas and hydrangeas grow in abundance in a microclimate warmed by the Gulf Stream. Come in May and June to catch the best of the blossom.

Opening times:

From May to September: Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and public holidays from 12 pm to 6 pm

Château de Nacqueville, 50460 URVILLE-NACQUEVILLE

Chateau de Canisy dates to William the Conqueror  (Taylor)

The Gardens of Château de Canisy: Created in the English style in the 19th-century, the park of Château de Canisy covers 90 acres. A long avenue of chestnut trees brings the visitor to the vast but secluded landscape, past the animal park, botanical garden and finally the chateau itself: a late-16th-century historic monument. Behind the main house is a lake bisected by a causeway. 

Canisy is a thousand years old
(en.wikipedia.org)

Via a rushing waterfall, the lake feeds a lower pond, created in the 1990s. Wild duck, geese and swans are permanent residents. A network of trails can be followed through the park and into hundreds of acres of surrounding farmland.

Opening times:

Open every day throughout the year

Château de Canisy, 50750 CANISY

Normandy is filled with garden treasures to suit any taste
(Taylor)

The website WeLoveNormandy offers even more information detailing everything you need to know about the region of Normandy in France. Even Mr. Monet would be proud.