“No holiday in the Loire Valley is complete without a trip to the gardens at Villandry” I told my reluctant family on a very warm day. We holidayed in France this summer and it was on my list of definite places to visit. Fortunately we were not disappointed and the gardens though precisely manicured were a delight for me and the children to explore.
As a garden designer I loved the network of canals, waterworks and terraces that wrap around the renaissance chateau. The garden has three levels each with it’s own character but for me the potager is the most stunning of all of these. Geometric designs in box are filled with colour co-ordinated perfectly grown herbs and vegetables. The contrast to our own allotment with it’s bindweed and slugs was laughable!
Of all the plants I saw that day my favourite was the purple basil. Planted in blocks and almost black in colour it looked stunning. I shall be looking to buy some seeds of my own for our own more modest vegetable plot next summer.
Karen Tizzard Garden Design 