Le Jardin Extraordinaire: a late summer treat

In this most dreadful of weeks for British politics, I think we all need a distraction. Just now, this is it. Back in France, one of the regular pleasures of our late summer was a visit to Le Jardin Extraordinaire, open for just a few days every year as the holiday period drew to an end. Let’s go there now, courtesy of a post I wrote in 2013 …..

September 4th, 2013

Le Jardin Extraordinaire, 2013 version

Le Jardin Extraordinaire is always comfortingly familiar, yet always surprising. If you’ve been once, you’ll go again, on this one weekend of the year, to enjoy strolling round this very special wild, yet bewitchingly tamed garden. The members and volunteers of Artchoum have been working for months to create this space, just for your pleasure.

You’ll want to explore the riverside walk and exclaim at the enchanted place they’ve created with stones, trees and flower petals. You’ll go on to wander through the leafy tunnels and arches tumbling with gourds. Then you’ll amble off into the woods, where more fantastical experiences await you.

You’ll go in through a flower-filled meadow…
… then this …
…don’t forget to glance upwards.
Who’s this in the water?
What’s this?
An enchanted river.
River statuettes.
A flower garden in the river.
Arches in the river.
Doorman at the river’s edge.
Last glimpse of the riverside walk.
A tunnel of gourds, topped by a sunflower.
Wandering through the gourd tunnel.
..and a little further..
… and further still …
Etched gourd in the garden.
Shower bath anyone?
View past a woven sculpture.
Look among the trees….
View from the top.
Bison on the hill.
Bison close up.
Bison’s stamping ground.
Bison’s view.
Puppeteers.
…. and their puppets…
Storks at the refreshment area.

People come from miles around to explore, smile and wonder at this very special place. But although you won’t be alone, there’s a relaxing feeling of space and of peace too. You’ll go away refreshed, invigorated and joyful.

Click on any image to view full size.

An entry for Jo’s Monday Walk. It’s an old walk Jo. But sometimes the old ones are the best. And I hadn’t ‘met’ you then.

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and live in North Yorkshire, where I walk , write, volunteer and travel as often as I can.

41 thoughts on “Le Jardin Extraordinaire: a late summer treat”

    1. It’s a delight, but ‘charming ‘ isn’t quite right. It has subversive elements, wild-wood elements that don’t quite fit that tag, as well as many charming ones. Always worth a visit in any case.

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  2. You hadn’t, and I’m sorry I couldn’t have arranged it when I was in Yorkshire, but our schedule wasn’t easy. We’ll know better another time. 🙂 🙂 And thanks for this. It does look enchantingly beautiful.

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  4. Oh yes, wholeheartedly agree with your sentiment. We all need more flower-filled meadows . . . lit with early morning sunlight . . . and accompanied by birdsong.

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  5. I must look out for this. We have fallen for the Parc aux Bambous – very zen and superb Indonesian food. There is a shallow river at the edge with a beach and sun loungers where you can keep half an eye on grandchildren as they get soaked. And as they were travelling in their parents’ car who cared!

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  6. Forgot to say well done and thank you re the demo. We had a long standing date with friends which would have been more relaxing without the ranting. Up to this point I have never been a fan of a written constitution, it seemed somehow un British. I’ve changed my mind.

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  7. Oh indeed. I do that by going (driving) to Giverny to bathe in Monet’s Garden…… This visit was our only HOLIDAY day this whole year so far. The week we planned in a gite in Charrente Maritime was a disaster, as I picked the worst sciatica ever and we were housebound w/o the comfort of my own bed and home and poor HH was condemmed to help me get up, sit down, lift my feet up on his lap, etc.
    But you’ll probably need more than the visit of a garden to get you through the coming times in UK….. I feel with you and I worry deeply.

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    1. In fact Kerry, I think it’s open for longer these days. But the floating flowers and so forth don’t last long. And so it’s only at its sparkling best for a short while.

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  10. I enjoyed this escape to the enchanting space with its witty installations and embellishments.
    But now I am watching a live feed from your House of Commons … an increasingly bamboozling experience.
    It it is hard not to be fearful.

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      1. I can quite see why you can’t bear to watch. In fact we lost our connection and it was a relief to stop watching. Btw, we did see a speech from Corbyn that was soberly done with no bluster, for what that is worth in the craziness.
        We have multiple and major problems here in SA, not least the recent violent xenophobia and looting in Johannesburg and Pretoria, but it does not blunt our awareness of the magnitude of what is unfolding in the UK. We can only hope that some kind of sanity will prevail. Thinking of you and take care.

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  15. What a great place! I feel the same way you do about the politics in each of our countries. I find that I run to the woods more and more all the time…my happy place. But I have a theory. You guys voted Brexit before we jumped off the bridge into insanity. So…if you wiggle out of your mess…by November, 2020. I feel confident we will also. And then maybe all of us will have calmer days, lower blood pressure readings, and in my case, less arguments with my siblings! Good luck to you folks, we in America are looking for a sign of hope!

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  16. Pingback: Jo’s Monday walk : Lotherton Hall | restlessjo

  17. Thanks to Jo’s link I was intrigued by this post. What an interesting garden. Quirky and arty and somewhat surreal, a little like Heligan in places I think. Where exactly is this extraordinary garden? And I am in agreement with you that old posts often deserve a re-post, especially those that didn’t get much attention.

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    1. It’s in the Ariège in southern France: nearest big town Pamiers, nearest town Mirepoix. It’s not really like Heligan – not manicured enough for that. But it’s a wonderful place.

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