Hush, it’s growing! Restoring our green spaces

The Centre des Monuments preserves, restores, manages, organises activities at and opens nearly 100 monuments in France to the public, 67 of which feature green spaces. 

In total, over 3,500 hectares of green spaces are open to the public! From elegant French formal gardens to poetic English-style gardens, there’s something to suit every taste. But can you tell them apart?

To preserve these historic parks and gardens from all eras, whilst respecting the environment, we can count on 80 experts in the art of gardening and the conservation of plant heritage. 

Our nature conservation efforts take many different forms: inventories of flora and fauna, recommendations for ecological management, visitor activities… But also conservation and restoration! 

Just like our built heritage, some of our green spaces have benefited from major restoration projects.

The garden of the Hôtel de Sully gets a makeover

A secret passageway to the Place des Vosges, the garden of the Hôtel de Sully is a must-see in the Marais district. The epitome of a Parisian private mansion, it was built from 1624 onwards, featuring a courtyard and a garden.

In 2023, work is being carried out to restore the Hôtel de Sully garden – which has been weakened by the ravages of time and climate change – to its former glory. This work has enabled the teams to:  

• Replace the box trees weakened by the box tree moth and decimated by parasitic fungi
• Extend the newly laid lawns
• Clear space around the yews lining the walls to restore their original columnar shape
• Introduce perennials and seasonal plants, supplied by the gardeners at the Domaine de Saint-Cloud and changed with each season 

Little is known about the garden’s exact appearance over the centuries, as records are scarce. Its current state is a reconstruction dating from the monument’s restoration in the 1960s.

Come andsee the garden for yourself!

The forgotten green oasis of the Château de Maisons

This château epitomises the transition from Renaissance to classical architecture. Situated between the forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the River Seine, the Château de Maisons is one of the finest 17th-century country houses. A masterpiece by François Mansart!

The château and its grounds lie at the heart of a 500-hectare estate. Having undergone changes over the centuries, it now retains just 1 per cent of its original area. 

The park is being redeveloped as part of the major restoration project for the château’s exterior, which began in 2016. The aim of this project is to restore the park’s role as a lush setting and enable visitors to (re)discover its walking paths. The project draws on historical sources, such as engravings and original plans.

It will last one year and will be carried out in five main stages: 

• The redesign of the garden’s far end (on the Seine side)
• The redesign of the paths and flowerbeds around the pond (landscaped as a wildflower meadow)
• The realignment of the rows of lime trees
• Restoration of the south terrace and its conversion into a leisure promenade
• Redefining the forecourt and restoring its lawns

But the work doesn’t stop there! Numerous built features are being restored: the estate’s gates and boundary walls, the benches and the ‘grottes de fraicheur’ ), as well as the pond, which has stood here since the 17th century, with its 38 jets. All of which will restore the park to its former splendour!

Come and discover the grounds of the Château de Maisons and their perfect symmetry for yourself.

The rose garden so dear to George Sand

Particularly prized in the 19th century, the rose was George Sand’s favourite flower. For this artist, the garden at her estate in Nohant was a source of boundless creativity. 

More than a century after the writer’s death, restoration of her rose garden had become necessary. The project was launched in the autumn of 2022. The aim? To bring this rose garden back to life, just as it was in its owner’s day, with the same layout. Arches for the climbing roses were also added.

Meticulous research has identified 128 varieties characteristic of George Sand’s era. In total, nearly 200 rose bushes have been planted. These rose varieties are known as ‘old-fashioned’; they require special care and are pruned differently from so-called ‘modern’ roses.

To ensure the garden is beautiful almost all year round, rose varieties have been selected to flower from mid-May to October. During the months when roses are not in bloom, other flowers take centre stage, such as Japanese anemones and hellebores.

Head out to the estate to admire them in bloom!