Jardins du Château de la Chatonnière

Nestled in a secluded valley and crowned by six hectares of fields of wild poppies cornflowers and cosmos, the remarkable gardens of the Château de la Chatonnière are a series of ten enchanting and sweetly scented terraced gardens. Each one is unique in its style, colours and atmosphere: 4000 roses, 2000 dahlias, 51 medicinal plants, 2 hectares of wild cyclamen.

In the hollow of a secret valley near Azay le Rideau, around a castle with six towers hugging a central courtyard, are eight terraced gardens connected one to another.
South, open on the Indre valley, in a green corner overhung with high fragrant linden trees, is the “Jardin de l’Elégance” with statues and vases from Carrara, groves and points of view, ice houses and mazes, in April red tulips, in May lilies, in the summer dahlias and in the autumn cyclamen.
West, at the foot of the medieval towers, centred around a basin, is the “Jardin des Sens” spreading in its articulated design, with concentric clumps carpeted with 150 fragrant varieties of multicoloured perennials overlooked by a white cloud of fabulous climbing roses.
North, hidden on all sides, protected from the Northern winds by a hillside planted with 1,000 saffron and gold rose trees, is the “Jardin de l’Abondance” revealing its kitchen garden plants amidst clipped box. Strawberries, leaks, aubergines, basil, chives, parsley, tomatoes, celery, white and red cabbages, red chard and red peppers are framed in a graceful rose leaf, which has paths as its veins.
Above, accessible through a noble flight of stairs, framed in pergolas covered with red roses, bedecked with clever arabesques and articulated curves, with subtle blue and red squares, is the “Jardin de l’Intelligence”. On a slope, at the back of the castle, which it dominates, and haloes with its thousand orange rose trees crowned with gold roses climbing on arbour is the “Croissant de l’Invraisemblance”.
The “Jardin du Silence” lies at the heart of the Renaissance abode, encircled in yew and punctuated with royal vases, severe and graceful, with an old well, aviary and pigeon house. The “Jardin de l’Exubérance” is adorned with a sea of wild flowers over 6 hectares. Its red and blue waves bending under the wind create a vibration in the small valleys and hillocks that make the shrine where Château de La Chatonnière is buried. Overhung with a belvedere offering a glimpse of all eight gardens, the “Jardin des Romances” has 14 round rooms with a delicate willow trellis as walls hiding, behind a flutter of climbing roses, a secret labyrinth at their heart.

Flower calendar:April: cherry trees, hyacinths, irisesMay: tulips, peonies, clematisJune-July: 3,000 lilies, 2,000 roses, poppies and bluebottles covering 6 hectaresAugust: 2,000 dahlias, medicinal plantsSeptembre: rose mazeOctober: asters and carpet of cyclamens