Jean-Philippe Teyssier, landscape architect, takes us on a journey to discover the most beautiful gardens in France and Europe.
Gardens Near and Far episode 45 – Tresco Abbey Gardens: Augustus John Smith – 26 years old rich aristocrat decided to sow a subtropical garden, the “Tresco Abbey Garden”. The Scilly archipelago can be found in the Celtic sea, off the coast of England… The windy island of Tresco saw Augustus John Smith arrive at the beginning of the nineteenth …
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Gardens Near and Far episode 44 – Taman Ujung: Built between 1912 and 1921, the floating gardens of Taman Ujung are the work of King Anak Agung, the last king to govern the region of East Bali. Although Indonesia was then under Dutch rule, the kings of the provinces continued to exercise local power. The place was carefully …
Gardens Near and Far episode 43 – Sezincote: At the heart of the English countryside in Gloucestershire, north-west of Oxford, the Sezincote estate houses a surprising dwelling. It is the work of the Cockerell brothers – British aristocrats of the end of the eighteenth century. Sezincote’s history is one of family. Right as they came back from India …
Gardens Near and Far episode 42 – Sacro Bosco: The Sacred Grove, a mysterious garden to the North East of Rome, was created in the 1550s by Vicino Orsini, Lord of Bomarzo, who worked on beautifying it until his death in 1584. He drew inspiration from the Etruscan civilisation but in a style that was closer to Mannerism, …
Gardens Near and Far episode 41 – Rosendal : Sprawling on 5 hectares, Rosendal is a food and flower garden at the heart of Stockholm. It has been in perpetual evolution for 200 years: it is a model garden for Sweden. The exceptional nature of the Rosendal garden is explained by its situation in the city; it is located in …
Gardens Near and Far episode 40 – Powerscourt : this Irish garden has witnessed four centuries of history. Initially designed for the Wingfield family in the eighteenth century, the grounds of Powerscourt were the creation of the English architect and landscape designer Daniel Robertson. Although Powerscourt is still privately owned, the Irish are justly proud of this historic …
Gardens Near and Far episode 39 – The garden of Murin-An, in central Kyoto, was made in the late nineteenth century by Aritomo Yamagata, a wealthy statesman. He acquired a 3000-square metre plot that then belonged to the monks of the temple Nanzen ji, one of the most influential in Kyoto. The garden represents the surrounding landscape according …
Gardens Near and Far episode 38 – Mount Stewart: Made in the 1920s by the English society hostess Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry, who played a major organizational role in World War I, this Northern Irish garden defies categorization. The garden is traditional in structure, but its exuberant planting reflects its creator’s strong personality and sense of humour. …
Gardens Near and Far episode 37: Longwood Gardens, in Pennsylvania, is famous for its European architectural style and the diversity of its flower beds. In the early 20th century, a director of General Motors created a garden that reflects both his love of plants and the American industrial might. He was inspired by his travels and the architectural …
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Gardens Near and Far episode 36: The Little Sparta garden is South of Edinburgh and lost in the Pentland. It was Ian Hamilton Finlay’s art piece of a lifetime. The late twentieth century Scottish poet and artist was an influent member of the experimental movement referred to as “concrete poetry”. To reach Little Sparta, you need to cross …
Gardens Near and Far episode 35: Levens Hall, in the north of England, has belonged to the same family for 800 years. Its garden was laid out in the seventeenth century by a French garden designer, Guillaume Beaumont, who trained with André Le Nôtre at Versailles. Since then, it has withstood the vagaries of fashion, remaining essentially unchanged …
Gardens Near and Far episode 34 : on the volcanic island of Ischia – in the gulf of Naples – the la Mortella domain’s tropical vegetation is surprisingly lively. Paths have been carved in volcanic rock and are flanked by Mediterranean essences. They lead to the garden’s top – which has a splendid view on the city of …