Garden Inspiration: FRANCiful Things I've Seen (Part One)

Fanciful and French—here are a few FRANCiful things I've seen.

Part One. Paris.

I discovered a true fairytale garden shed in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. "Shed" seems a rather shabby description of this round turret. The red French door with a lever handle is perfect.

Jardin des Plantes; April 2011 in Paris, France.

Parfait, qui?

Intricate gazebo in the Jardin des Plantes.

An iron gazebo topping a hill in Le Jardin des Plantes reminded me of a wedding cake decoration. What cannot easily be captured in a photo is the spiral of hedges winding around that layered hill to reach the destination. Picnickers had already filled the gazebo to capacity on our sunny April day.

Of course, what gardener doesn't dream of a fabulous greenhouse? A pair of matching glass houses are literally filled with jungles of tropicals and other indoor plants. We can dream, can't we?

To visit Le Jardin des Plantes in Paris, I highly recommend jumping on a Batobus (boat) on the river Seine. Float through Paris and disembark at the stop for the Jardin des Plantes.

There are multiple street access points to the gardens: 57 rue Cuvier, 2 rue Buffon, 36 rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, place Valhubert 75005 Paris.


When to go? I have been the first week of April and the first week of May on warm, sunny days. Layering your clothes for Paris is always good idea. On a trip one June, it was cool enough for a jacket. 

Please watch for the upcoming: Part Two. Provence.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. Deer and rabbit resistance varies based upon the animal population and availability of food. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.