French-style gardens, English-style gardens: a game of differences

The French garden emerged around the^16thcentury, inspired by those of the Italian Renaissance. In the following century, its style was conceptualised by Jacques Boyceau, steward of King Henry IV’s gardens. But its fame is chiefly linked to the talentof André Le Nôtre, landscape architect to King Louis XIV, who designed, amongst other things, the park at the Palace of Versailles. Also described as ‘classical’, it embodies an ideal of perfection, where nature is tamed by humankind. Here are its main characteristics!

A geometric layout

Let’s take a stroll through the magnificent garden at the Château de Champs-sur-Marne. Its central axis consists of a grand avenue, nearly 900 metres long. On either side, neatly trimmed copses are planted in a star-shaped pattern. As for the flowerbeds, they are bordered by two cross-shaped paths. Finally, you simply cannot miss the sublime boxwood ‘embroidery’ ! Their scrolls replicate the patterns of an oriental carpet. There’s no doubt about it: harmony and symmetry are inseparable from the French garden!

Water features

Water also plays a major role in these gardens. Some features are truly spectacular, such as the sublime Grande Cascade in the Park of Saint-Cloud! 

The English-style garden emerged in the early^18th century under the influence of philosophers and artists, such as the poet Alexander Pope. It rejected the conventions of the ‘French’ style, which was too geometric, and advocated a return to a wild and poetic natural world. In the 1770s, this new aesthetic spread throughout Europe and an English-style garden was even laid out at Versailles for Marie-Antoinette. During the Revolution, its freedom of design made it a symbol of emancipation from the monarchy, whilst in the^19thcentury, it laid the foundations for the Romantic garden. Let’s explore some of its principles!

An artistic sensibility

The composition ofan English-style garden is very similar to that of a painting. This is no coincidence: William Kent, who developed the first versions in the 1730s, was both a landscape architect and a painter! Diversity and balance of forms are therefore essential and serve to enhance the natural appearance. The plants chosen are varied, both in type and colour. The English garden at Rambouillet Castle illustrates this perfectly. Spanning nearly 25 hectares, it combines meadows and rare trees along a river. Don’t you think it’s a splendid setting?

Trees and flowers in abundance

Roses, bellflowers, phlox, foxgloves, clematis… The flowers in the English-style gardens are numerous and colourful! Let’s admire those in the garden of George Sand, the famous^19th-centurywriter. She spent most of her life at her home in Nohant and devoted several hours every day to gardening. The result is a feast for the eyes!