CÔTE D'AZUR
Emma Crawforth, Horticultural Editor
Garden visits were the highlight of my trip last April to the Côte d'Azur, in the south of France. All the gardens were amazing, but one stood out for me - Le Jardin Serre de la Madone, in Menton. This terraced garden was carved into old farmland by Lawrence Johnston in the 1920s. Already the heir to Hidcote Manor in the Cotswolds, Johnston had been so seriously injured in World War One that he'd been left for dead. He spent all his winters in Menton, and summers at Hidcote, until World War Two. At Serre de la Madone, religious symbolism mixes with exotic plants from all over the world. Statuary, steps and pools frame the vegetation in a romantic but poignant landscape. I was entranced by its atmosphere and intrigued by the idea that plants were exchanged between here and Hidcote.
Also in Menton, the botanic garden Val Rahmeh provides a modern contrast and is managed by France's National Museum of Natural History. It features unusual plants arranged creatively and labelled, plus an optional audio tour. Checking the plant names prepares you well for visiting other gardens in the region, where you won't get this information. More homely and nestled on a hillside near Grasse is La Mouissone, an olive farm and garden where the English owner, Lady Lockett, gave me a tour with a fascinating chat about the local gardening community.
This story is from the December 2023 edition of BBC Gardeners World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2023 edition of BBC Gardeners World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
A new plot for tasty crops
Taking on a new allotment needn't be hard work. By simply following a few easy tips you can have bumper crops in no time, just like Alessandro Vitale
We love July
July is an island floating between the joy of June and the slightly fatigued month of August. It's a grown-up month: the year has shrugged off its adolescent exuberances, the weather is (hopefully) warm enough for ice cream to be one of your five a day, the sea should be swimmable without (too much) danger of hypothermia and thoughts will be of holiday shenanigans and family barbecues. School's out this month, the next tranche of glorious summer colour is washing across our borders and it's my birthday. Lots of reasons to give three rousing cheers for July!
YOUR PRUNING MONTH
Now, at the height of summer, Frances Tophill shows how to boost your plants' health and productivity with a timely cut
Hassle-free harvests
Flowers are out in abundance this month and for Jack Wallington, many of these blooms make delicious, low-effort pickings
Bite-sized bounties
Glorious doorstep harvests can easily turn into gluts, so let Rukmini Iyer's recipes help you savour every last bit
Upcycled outdoor living
Create unique and stylish garden features for minimal cost using reclaimed materials and simple DIY skills. Helen Riches shares four step-by-step projects and more inspiring eco tips
Secrets of a COLOURFUL GARDEN
Buildings and landscapes can play a vital role in supercharging your space, as Nick Bailey demonstrates
Greening up a city balcony
Looking for sustainable, small-space gardening ideas? Take inspiration from Oliver Hymans' transformed balcony garden in north-east London - now a lush, green haven for humans and wildlife
The dry and mighty garden
As we adapt our gardens to a more volatile climate, Alan Titchmarsh reveals how to create a drought-tolerant plot and picks his top plant performers
Nature knows best
Carol Klein explains how to choose plants for specific growing conditions, based on what has naturally adapted to thrive there
