Green Rules OK

Spring weather can be unpredictable, with a mixture of warm sun and cool overcast days. The cooler spring weather gives plants a chance to show what green can do. Flowers are slow coming, but in a well designed garden it doesn't matter.

Later in the year this planting scheme will be blood
red and electric blue, but in early May, green rules.

At La Chatonniere in May 2012 Mme Azéroual, wife of the head gardener, who meets and greets visitors at the gate, apologised that not much was in flower because the spring had been unusually cool. Rather than being disappointing though, what strikes you is how good the planting scheme really is. All those different greens and different leaf shapes and textures form eye pleasing patterns quite as effectively as multicoloured flowers do.

If you would like to get ideas for planting schemes from some great Loire Valley gardens, email us and we will create a plant and garden filled tour just for you.