• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Garden Post
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Latest book
    • Reviews
  • Talks
  • About
    • Newsletter
    • Books by Barbara Segall
  • Contact
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Instagram
    • Twitter

Dordogne Gardens: Les Jardins de Colette

12 January 2015

Last summer I visited a cluster of Dordogne gardens. Now in gloomy January my thoughts have turned to the blue skies and warmth of those visits.

Markets in the Dordogne offer fruit, vegetables and herbs in abundance.
Markets in the Dordogne offer fruit, vegetables and herbs in abundance.

In the 1970s the Dordogne was a magnet for Brits converting old farmhouses into second homes. With my parents for a brief time I was part of that crowd… sunshine, blue skies, wonderful wine, abundant vegetables and fruit, cheese, nuts and all manner of fish, fowl and beast, were the culinary attractions of this fertile river valley. At that time gardens to visit were few and far between. Today all that has changed and last summer I was delighted to return to the Dordogne region as a garden visitor… and what amazing gardens they are.

Variety was the key – private, public, large, small, themed and abstract but all within easy access of the main towns in the region and the airport at Brive (www.aeroport-brive-vallee-dordogne.com).

First stop near to Brive was Les Jardins de Colette (www.lesjardinsdecolette.com) in Varetz. Dedicated to Colette, the 20th-century writer, the garden opened in 2008. Its five hectares of flowers gardens are themed on the regions of France that were important in Colette’s life and writings. Herbs, vegetables, flowers, trees and paths lead through six areas where Colette put down literary and social roots – Burgundy, Franche-Comté, Brittany, Correze, Provence and Paris. Today this young garden attracts some 66,000 visitors.

Sand, gravel, grassy paths, blue eryngiums and swathes of Verbena bonariensis, backed by stone walls, conjure up the rocky coastal landscapes of Brittany

Gravel, stone walls and the boat combine to offer a sense of the coastal landscape of Britanny.
Gravel, stone walls and the boat combine to offer a sense of the coastal landscape of Brittany.

A highlight for me in the Provençal garden was the scent of roses, the aroma of lavender and the fresh smell of pines, all set against the soft grey foliage of avenues of mature olive trees. One of the roses that thrives here is Rosa ‘Colette; created by the renowned French rosarian Meilland in 1995.

Rosa 'Colette' created in 1995 by Meilland thrives in this garden.
Rosa ‘Colette’ created in 1995 by Meilland thrives in this garden.

Colette loved being in Provence, although she felt that it was difficult to concentrate on her writing since she always wanted to be outdoors. The garden’s designer has imagined a blue room known as the ‘outdoor bedroom’ to convey a terrace where a writer might sleep and work outdoors.

The 'outdoor'room where a writer might sleep and work!
The ‘outdoor’room where a writer might sleep and work!

As you would expect there is much for children to enjoy, including a maze. There is a garden shop and an elegant tearoom that opens onto the garden. And if you want to immerse yourself further in Colette’s life you can stay or dine nearby at the Chateau of Castel Novel (www.castelnovel.com). It dates from the early Middle Ages and Colette’s connection to it is through her marriage to Henri de Jouvenel in 1912. She loved its beauty and the tranquility of the countryside, and it was here that her daughter Bel Gazou, the heroine of several of her novels, was born and spent her childhood.

Previous Post: « The Herb Garden Month by Month
Next Post: Dordogne gardens: Les Jardins du Manoir d’Eyrignac »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Getting the pollinators to the garden table

Herbs for Flavour: Mint

kale

Kitchen Library: Kale

Indoor Pursuits

A New Dawn and It Is 2021

Herbs in a box

Primary Sidebar

Latest book: Secret Gardens of the South East

Book cover for Secret Gardens of the South East by Barbara Segall showing cottage garden with half-timbered house in the background

I am an Ambassador for Silent Space, a Charity Incorporated Organisation creating opportunities to be silent in some of our favourite green places. Find them at silentspace.org.uk or on Twitter as @silentspaace.

About Me

I edit magazines and write about gardens, plants and gardeners. My own garden and those open to the public, here and abroad – and gardeners – professionals and passionate amateurs, alike, all feature in my writing. Growing my own fruit, vegetables and herbs in a small, productive and ornamental town garden gives me great pleasure, as does using the produce and writing about it. Read more

Articles by Barbara Segall

Planting for Winter Structure and Wildlife – for Garden Design Journal

Tom Hoblyn’s plant lab

Resilient Trees: Which trees should we plant to revitalise and protect our landscapes?

page of article in garden design journal about resilient trees

Shortlisted in the Garden Journalist of the Year category in the Property Press Awards 2017

Praise from the Garden Writers Association

"Loved your take on the allotment... including the chit chat with the neighbours."

"Nice friendly voice and style while imparting good gardening information."

Sign up for the newsletter

Visit the sign-up page to receive an update when I post a new blog.

FOLLOW BARBARA SEGALL

  • Email
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 The Garden Post on the Foodie Pro Theme