We love gardens, we love contemporary art and we love sculptures and today we found all three in the beautiful gardens of the Chateau Villandry. We learned that renaissance style gardens were designed to be seen from above. This garden trail led us from one raised viewpoint to another. It is actually 8 gardens in one.

• The ornamental garden featured 4 box beds symbolising the 4 states of love. It also included musical symbols.
• The forest garden revealed some stunning viewpoints and used to be planted with vines.
• The 18th Century pavilion and the greenhouses where the majority of plants are grown.
• Surrounded by lime trees is the water garden which includes a large pool in the shape of a Louis XV mirror.
• The sun garden had 3 chambers, the cloud, the sun and the children’s chamber. In the middle of the sun chamber were 4 large carved wooden contemporary statues.
• Every garden has to have a maze. At the centre of this one was a viewing platform.
• The herb garden grows aromatic and medicinal plants and has some very clever topiary and places to sit.
• By far the best was the ornamental kitchen garden. With beds that are planted with vegetables in colours that alternate to create the illusion of a multicoloured checkerboard and covers and spans over a hectare.

We explored the chateau and climbed to the top of the tower where we got even more spectacular views of the garden. The rooms inside were quite sumptuous as well.

10 Gardeners work full time to maintain and preserve these gardens which include 1015 lime trees needing 3 months fo pruning every winter, 30km of box needing pruning every summer and 115,000 flowering and vegetable plants.

Wow what a place!