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Gardens to explore on your holidays: the Northwest
| 2008-06-30 By Catherine Delvaux et Emmanuelle Saporta Subtropical species, bamboo pavilion, plants from the southern hemisphere, exotic trail... These three gardens are an invitation to travel. Les jardins de Kerdalo (22) © All rights reserved The gardens of Kerdalo, nestling in the hollow of a little valley in the Côtes d’Armor, are somewhere between botanical garden and romantic garden. Designed like a painting and created by Peter Wolkonsky from 1965, they were taken over about ten years ago by his daughter and son-in-law, landscape gardeners who were able to preserve and embellish the place. The stream that hollowed out the little valley has been canalised and feeds reservoirs. Plant lovers can spend the whole day here, in search of rare perennials and uncommon shrubs. Over 2,000 species and varieties grow in this acidic soil. Many are plants requiring warmth, large echiums, phormiums, ceanothus, and subtropical species such as scheffleras. For exotic plant lovers we recommend a visit to the terraces, behind the manor house. Many parts of the garden make reference to the Orient, with a bamboo pavilion, small valleys of rhododendrons and hydrangeas. It’s certainly one of the most beautiful gardens in Brittany. Practical informationJardins de Kerdalo Kerdalo 22220 Trédarzec Tel: + 33 (0)2 96 92 35 94 Opening times April to June, Mondays and Saturdays from 2pm to 6pm. In July and August, every day from 2pm to 6pm, except Sundays. Prices From €4 to €8. Le jardin exotique de Roscoff (29) © All rights reserved Escape in a garden at the “ends of the earth” while still remaining in France. This is the offer of the exotic garden of Roscoff, which proffers an invitation to explore the vegetation of the southern hemisphere in north Finistère. It belongs to the GRAPES (Roscoff group of exotic and subtropical plant enthusiasts). Laid out over 16,000m2, this collectors’ garden, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, contains no fewer than 3,000 species of plants from the southern hemisphere: protea, callistemon, eucalyptus, kniphofia, etc. Here you will also find amazing cacti, tree ferns and succulents... Many plants present on the site are sensitive to frost, but here they grow without any trouble because they benefit from a microclimate (Roscoff is surrounded by the sea on two sides) and the influence of the Gulf Stream. The garden, perched on a viewpoint, a granite mass 18m high, offers a superb view of the surrounding area. Practical informationJardin exotique de Roscoff BP 54 29682 Roscoff cedex Tel: + 33 (0)2 98 61 29 19 Opening times July and August: open every day from 10am to 7pm. Tour with commentary every Wednesday from 3pm. Prices Adults: €5. Children aged 12 to 18: €2. Under-12s: free. Summer events 5th and 6th July, course on “Learning to recognise and grow succulents.” Free (not including meals). Enrolment on + 33 (0)6 65 78 99 43. Le Clos du Coudray (76) © All rights reserved This garden is the work of a couple of enthusiasts, Jean Le Bret and his wife, who for over 30 years have worked relentlessly to make the place ever more beautiful, ever more attractive. They shifted hundreds of cubic metres of earth to give shape to it before opening to the public in 1993.
With a surface area of 20,000m2, it is made up of about twenty little themed gardens which harbour over 8,000 species and varieties of plant: sloping, rock and gravel gardens, but also a rose garden, strip of undergrowth, gunneras garden and perennial borders… A very special mention goes to the exotic trail inaugurated in 2003, where a multitude of plants (banana trees, palm trees, etc.) flourish, enjoying a beneficial microclimate.
Before you leave, a stop at the adjacent nursery run by the family is a must; here you will find over 3,000 varieties of perennial plants, dahlias, rose bushes, ferns and seeds of annual plants. Make the most of the opportunity to ask for all sorts of advice from the specialists there.
If you want to follow the evolution of the garden through the seasons, check out the blog on the Clos du Coudray website: a very pleasant virtual stroll. Practical informationLe Clos du Coudray 14 rue du Parc floral 76850 Etaimpuis Tel: + 33 (0)2 35 34 96 85 Opening times 1st April to 31st October, nursery and garden are open every day, from 10am to 7pm (last admission at 6pm). November to March: only the nursery is open (access free of charge). In March: every day, from 10am to 12pm and from 1pm to 4.30pm. 2nd November to 28th February: open from Monday to Thursday, from 10am to 4.30pm. Annual closure from 15th December to 15th January. Prices Adults: €7.50. Children: €3.50. Items sold at the nursery (access free of charge), online and by mail order (catalogue). Terrace for picnicking. Drinks machine. |
