Happy Friday GPODers!
Around the same time many of us were clued to our screens watching the summer Olympics, Nancy Mellen was in Paris enjoying one of the most famous gardens in the city. Nancy has shared her garden several times in the past (Fall Beauties From Nancy, Gardening in Hingham, MA, and Blooming through the Winter) and previously submitted photos from an interesting Japanese garden she visit in Florida (GPOD on the Road: Morikami Japanese Garden). Today, she’s sharing photos from her recent trip to Jardin du Luxembourg in the city of love.
My husband and I were in Paris this August and stayed in St. Germain, which was only 15 minute walk to Notre Dame and a 10 minute walk to the Luxembourg Gardens. The gardens have chairs, benches, tables spread all around. We were amazed that there were probably over 100 people there, and those that weren’t watching the boats or walking were reading books, not looking at phones. We brought our books the next day and joined in.
Medici Fountain is a quintessential element and a must-see in Luxembourg Garden. Built around 1630, it’s a lasting symbol of the Italian influence and mannerist style that flourished in Paris during the 17th century. Surrounded by large trees that provide plenty of shade on a sunny day, the foliage-filled pots and thick vines add to the romantic scene. I’ve actually visited this garden myself, many years ago, and I can still remember feeling like I was transported into a completely different garden when I walked into this space.
The L’Acteur grec is another iconic sight in the gardens, and is always surrounded by lovely flowers. Translated to English, ‘The Greek Actor,’ was made in 1868 by Charles-Arthur Bourgeois and depicts an ancient Greek theater actor with a mask on his forehead, and sheepskin around his waist.
When you can pull yourself away from the incredible artwork and architecture, there are amazing platings to be found in the gardens. Rows of immaculately kept beds are backdropped by perfectly pruned trees and surprising pops of palms.
A central gathering point in Luxembourg Garden is an octagonal pond called the Grand Bassin. A festive and adorable activity at the Grand Bassin are these antique toy boats that parents are able to rent for their children. Amazingly, these little boats and this tradition date by to 1927.
Of course, like many city park ponds, the Grand Bassin is home to an assortment of ducks. However, in Parisian style, these waterfowl get ornate little homes perched in the middle of the pond. The bristly spikes on top of the house prevent other birds like pigeons and gulls from perching and taking up residence.
Beyond the fabulous fountain you can see the many people that Nancy mentioned, lounging in the gardens and enjoying the warm summer day. The best gardens are those that are comfortable to sit and spend hours in.
As a famous and hugely popular garden in a major city, Luxembourg Garden draws masses. Tons of groups are seen either soaking up the sun or enjoying the shade provided by immaculate rows of pleached trees. Pleaching is this technique of training and pruning trees to create formal and enclosed garden “rooms.”
The Luxembourg Palace in which the gardens are built around. The palace and gardens were constructed at the start of the 1600s, to be the residence of Marie de’ Medici, the second wife of King Henry IV and mother of King Louis XIII. Understandably, the stately palace and 25 hectares of formal and formal English gardens took about 30 years to complete.
Thank you so much for sharing photos of this famous, grand garden with us, Nancy! I visited this garden in very early spring, and it’s amazing to see it in peak summer color through your eyes.
Did you visit any public gardens during travels this summer? Maybe you visited your local botanical garden? As the days get shorter and colder, photos of summer blooms are exactly what we all need. Follow the directions below to submit, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad
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