Brittany is a wonderful place for gardening. The climate is mild and rarely too dry. Almost anything grows. The lansdscape has been formed by wind and water, shaping its valleys and its trees, wearing away the granite on which Brittany rests.
Here are a few of the major Brittany gardens, but there are many more, usually smaller, often hard to find, sometimes only open by appointment. We will happily help you find them, as well as the best ‘pépiniéristes’ if you want to buy plants.
And you are always welcome to seeds or cuttings from our own garden.
The Château of Trévarez
A wonderfully restored classic french garden, plus breathtaking views down to the Aulne and a folly of a château. Famous for its national collection of azelias and rhododendrons with about 1000 different types, there are also important collections of camelias, hydrangeas and japanese maples (picture above right).
There are regular garden events and exhibitions throughout the year.
The Abbey of Daoulas
Famous for its recreated medieval herb garden, based on the number 4, linked to the four elements, the four humours, and the four qualities.
The Garden of ‘Mixtures’ St-Gilles-les-Bois
A wild garden, every corner filled with treats for the nose and the eyes. You can feel a bit like Alice in Wonderland as you come upon plants and objects to delight and intrigue, to surprise and amuse.
Kerdalo
(photo above left) Prince Peter Wolkonsky, painter, traveller and gardener, acquired Kerdalo in 1965 and created the gardens. You can feel the eye of the painter in its creation, in its varying scales, its vistas, its balance. You can also find the traveller in its oddities, its Italian and English accents. Not to be missed.
The Exotic Gardens of Roscoff
By the edge of the sea, the plants in this garden benefit from the very mild temperatures in winter sustained by the Gulf Stream, with not too much heat in summer, and, perhaps surprisingly, a fairly dry climate all year. Magnificent Echiums, rare passionflowers, an almost jungle feel to this garden where you will also find cacti overlooking the Channel.