Valmer was built in the Italian-Renaissance style in the middle of the 16th century. Here's
what it looked like before it was destroyed by fire in 1948. Thanks to Wikipédia for the photo. The building you see in my photos above was built in the 17th century and is called
le pavillon Louis XIII. It and other buildings on the site survived the 1948 fire.
Valmer was (and still is) famous for its Italian-style terraced gardens, according to the
Wikipédia article. There are seven terraces perched on a hillside 30 meters (100 feet) high, covering about a hectare (2.5 acres) of land in all. At the bottom of the hill, there's a 2.5 acre vegetable garden. If you are having a hard time wrapping your mind around all that... well, join the club.
Valmer was built in the Italian-Renaissance style in the middle of the 16th century. Here's what it looked like before it was destroyed by fire in 1948. Thanks to Wikipédia for the photo. The building you see in my photos above was built in the 17th century and is called le pavillon Louis XIII. It and other buildings on the site survived the 1948 fire.
Valmer was (and still is) famous for its Italian-style terraced gardens, according to the Wikipédia article. There are seven terraces perched on a hillside 30 meters (100 feet) high, covering about a hectare (2.5 acres) of land in all. At the bottom of the hill, there's a 2.5 acre vegetable garden. If you are having a hard time wrapping your mind around all that... well, join the club.
My photos here date back to springtime in 2006.
The gardens at Valmer are wonderful.... the four quarters of the veg garden in the main picture are named after the four most famous gardeners in France... the one nearest your camera is Villmorin.... all the work of her Ladyship.... and all organic.
ReplyDeleteAt garden open days she runs tours around each of the four patches and explains how and why they are laid out the way they are. To the right of your picture are the espaliered fruit trees, very old and the trunks have joined on the ones that were weaved. Behind the long hedge towards the tower are the experimental gardens where plants are tried out.
One thing she states regularly is that these are not decorative gardens as per Villandry, although they are laid out decoratively.... they are their gardens and are designed to feed them and the rest of the Valmer community and employees, so you will see very obvious signs of cropping and picking.
Such a fine garden!
ReplyDelete2.5 acre vegetable garden! Whooooa!
ReplyDeleteI just learned that B & D are going to Provence in October! They have a favorite British tour company that focuses on the historic and architectural and cultural things that they like... this tour is called "Roman & Medieval Provence: The South of France in the Middle Ages". I'm excited for them! Martin Randall Travel itinerary
https://www.martinrandall.com/roman-and-mediaeval-provence
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a good Provence tour. I hope B and D have a good time. Are you tempted? Have you spent time in Provence?
DeleteI love to garden but that amount would do me in! I wonder how many employees or townspeople she has to maintain those gardens! Wonderful to have them working gardens with produce and not just for display.
ReplyDeleteMary, I have usually seen her working down there when we've visited with around half a dozen others.... it is a large estate and the gardens are extensive.... the terraces that Ken has spoken about are each gardened in their own style, so there is a lot to do... I feel that the gardens require more than the half dozen, but it is also a vineyard and the work on the vines is not a daily job, it comes in bursts... so the gardens are able to be managed by the estate staff.
Delete