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[blank]All of my life creativity has been essential to my well being. Finding a way to express myself each day is simply vital, without it I am dull and lifeless.
One of the privileges of country life is to know many creative people, whose talents are diverse and rich. I love the surprises. The discovery of a ceramics workshop in an old farm building; a lady painting porcelain in her home; the watercolour artist whose day job is as a doctor….[blank]
[blank]Maybe this is simply one of the aspects of country life: people are less anonymous, individual talents have more space to blossom. Whatever the reason, I want to celebrate the everyday creativity of people I know here.[blank]
[blank]Today I introduce you to François, a landscape gardener, a botanist and to my mind an artist. François has been helping me out with the remodelling here, and I was delighted to visit his home and take a tour of his own garden. It is quite small, but impeccable and the perfect showcase for his talents.[blank]
[blank] Sand strewn paths invite the visitor to wander between the plants. He makes great use of alliums, roses, heuchera and irises, as well as more tropical plants such as bamboos, eucalyptus and ferns.
He tells me that it takes an hour or so each evening, to tend and to water; to train and encourage each plant to perfection. My own garden isn’t a match to his yet, but I hope that his influence will soon produce comparable results![blank]
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[blank] If you live in my part of the world, here in Normandy, and you’d like to ask François for advice you can email him here. He specialises in designing and creating gardens from scratch as well as everyday care. He also likes to coach his clients![blank]
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[blank]Si vous desirez faire appel à Francois pour un jardin dans l’Eure, vous pouvez le contacter ici.[blank]
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45 comments
These gardens are magnificent!
Have a great week!
xo
Sharon
Such beautiful and welcoming gardens! I can't wait to see your gardens after the remodelling.
WONDERFUL!
This guy is definetively an artist. Painting with flowers and other plants.
Really – what an incredibly beautiful talent he has.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Very inspiring.
Anja
Anja
Francois is a true Artist. One of the most beautiful spaces I have seen. Looking forward to being introduced to your Artisan Friends.
Do you know how rare it is to have garden paths without edging look gorgeous?????????????
What Francoise has created is beyond sublime.
It's major skill.
Proof. How many gardens do we see like his?
If a client wanted a garden like his, yet had children with 2 career marriage, I would have to make changes. Their life isn't capable of the time nor are 'gardeners' like Francoise in existence in USA to hire for maintenance, at affordable pricing.
(FYI, it's about $100/hr for skilled garden labor in USA. Modestly, with the time you mention, $500/week, $2,000/month, $24,000/year for maintenance alone. This doesn't include new plants nor water.)
What changes? Path edging, fewer perennials more flowering shrubs, more groundcovers. That type of garden can find affordable unskilled labor for maintenance. Better, it can be maintained, with some coaching skills taught, to the homeowner.
Ironically, Francoise never works in his garden. It's pleasure for him.
Fabulous pics….
Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
It is a delightful garden and his joy shows in it! thanks for sharing!
Nancy
https://wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com
(I shared my friend's garden this week and what she has done!)
How beautiful Sharon… His garden and his passion for his craft is wonderful… How fabulous that he will guide you and help you remodel.. Enjoy… xv
Truly lovely, lots of inspiration. I wish I could have that kind of vision. Thank you for your lovely blog, I always look forward to reading it x
Vraiment un maître jardinier! J'adore ce jardin. Bonne journée! Anita
Well, Sharon….someday, I suppose I may be able to figure out how you're able, in your blog, to so sucessfully blend the worlds of "My French blog with all sorts of expensive fantasies" and such a down-to-earth, genuine, enthusiasm for what actually surrounds you in your own daily life.
Vita Sackville-West (for all of her having been born&raised; at Knole) was much the same when it came to her writings on gardening. The lady liked to get her own hands in the actual dirt.
In any case…..what distinguishes your blog from all too many others (supposedly inthe same "genre") is its unavoidable sincerity.
Thank youfor that…..and I'll look forward to your series on artisans.
—–david terry
http://www.davidterryart.com
My opinion also Sharon!
xx
Thank you ANja, it is lovely to see my readers response to this piece
xx
Thank you Gina, I have been thinking about this series for a while now, but wasn't sure how to introduce it …
xx
garden paths without edges … exactly! this is just one of the things I love about Francois's garden
thank you for your enthusiasm Tara
xx
popping over to see your friends garden, thank you for stopping by Nancy
xx
I am enjoying Vicki, and hopefully learning as I go
xx
I guess the vision is the talent, and also the experience to understand how things will look 6 months after planting
xx
Merci Anita, c'est vrai, François est un maître jardinier
xx
Wow David!! Comparing me to Vita S-W!! I grew up very close to Knole and to Sissinghurst – what a wonderful time she had creating that garden!
Have you read the book of her gardening diaries published in the Times? You'd love it
Thank you for stopping by and leaving such a generous comments
xx
What a beautiful garden Francois has created. The mix of temperate and tropical plants is done well.
Living creatively is important to me, too. I love visiting your blog and seeing what you are up to next.
Stunning garden, great job he did!!
ciao Z
That is a glorious garden — rich and complex and still accessible. Looking forward to your series on creative people.
Ce François est certainement un talentueux jardinier… Merci pour le partage et les belles photos.
Gros bisous
A lovely garden just makes the heart sing doesn't it.
Thank you Lorrie, I think we share a lot of creative points of interest!
xx
🙂
xx
thank you Emm, the next instalment will be up soon
xx
Merci d'être passé Martine, et à bientôt
bises
Oh yes! especially at this time of year!
xx
Thank you for sharing. I needed to see such beautiful greenery.
Thank you for such an inspiring garden walk this morning! You can tell by the vibrant health and beauty of Francois's plants that he has a love and joy for his garden. Thank you for carrying me away to a wonderful fantasy land every time I read your blog.
Sharon,
Oh! how I enjoy your blog and look forward to each entry. I too, have been a gardener all of my life (75). This is so exciting seeing this artfully created and beautiful garden created by Francois. Looking forward to this new series. Pat C. from Texas
Perfect! Iris were my Mom's favorite flower.
Henry the Gardener has these beautiful allium all over our home garden. They are faded now, and I will have to wait till next June.
Beautiful!
garden paths without edges! + now that is a thing of beauty. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
🙂
xx
You are so right Linda, he loves those plants! Thank you for your kind words about the blog
xx
François will be thrilled to know that fellow gardeners like his work! I gather he has been getting messages from my readers and is doing his best to reply using a translate tool 🙂
This is what blogging is about !!
xx
Love their perfume
xx
I thought of Henry as I walked around this garden, he would love it!
best to you both
xx
isn't it just Peggy, the whole atmosphere is very calm and serene
xx
A man after my own heart. How fortunate you are Sharon to know Francois. A skill not easily found. I know, I've dealt with my share of them. Gorgeous beyond description. xo
Francois is a true artist. I know he will help transform your garden into a little piece of Normany paradise.
Such beautiful gardens and amazing talent! I've been gardening since I was a teenager, starting simply by planting tulips, which have become an obsession! Moving from home to home over the last 30 yrs, I have had to leave behind many gardens & favorite plants. Now living on 4 acres with well-established trees, shrubs and open fields, I'm overwhelmed with ideas, but have started small by concentrating on our front entry garden. It's my aim to achieve such a carefree looking, colorful, welcoming garden like François'. I cannot wait to see the transformation you and François create in your garden!
Gorgeous! I love everything about your garden! Hugs, Leena