GARDENS ILLUSTRATED: The French Rose; Paris to the Loire

30 May 2022

Following our highly successful English Rose tours with Michael Marriott, we now venture across the channel to

investigate the story of the French Rose and to enjoy some truly wonderful gardens and rose collections from Paris

to the Loire.

Tour of the roses at Roseraie Val-de-Marne in L’Haÿ-les-Roses
View the comprehensive collection of wild rosesLe Manoir de la Javeliére Park
Fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of Les Roses Anciennes André Eve
Private visit to the Loubert Rose Collection at Château Rivau
Lunch and Vouvray wine tasting at Château de Valmer
Visit the gardens of Château de Villandry

Description
Itinerary
What's Included
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Dates & Prices

If you love the perfume of roses on an early summer’s day and have always promised yourself time to discover more of this vast and varied genus, then this is the tour for you; an unmissable opportunity to stroll from rose to rose discussing the merits of under-planting, mulching, pruning, budding, training, and even ‘the name of the rose’ in the company of a great rose enthusiast & expert. We will stay one night at Hôtel Les Pléiades, in the village of Barbizon before travelling down to the Loire to Hôtel Le Choiseul, Amboise. Both hotels offer good food and hospitality: dinners with local wines and bed & breakfast all included. Michael Marriott is senior rosarian of David Austin Roses and is one of the world’s most esteemed rose experts; Maïté Delmas has over thirty years’ experience of managing plant collections (including roses) gained at Kew, Bordeaux and Paris Botanic Gardens. Maïté has worked with Boxwood for many years and is a well-respected tour leader familiar to many of our travellers.

Day 1:
We take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord. On arrival, we travel by coach to Roseraie Val-de-Marne in L’Haÿ-les-Roses, where we start with a delicious light lunch followed by a tour of the roses with the garden’s curator. Initiated in the late 19th century by Jules Gravereaux, a private collector and owner of the Parisian department store Le Bon Marché, the garden now has more than 11,000 rosebushes and nearly 2,900 species and varieties of rose, making it one of the largest collections of old roses in the world. We then drive to Hôtel Les Pléiades, on the edge of the Forêt de Fontainebleau with time to settle in before an evening meal together.
Day 2:
Though André Eve (1931-2015) is well known in France for his work in hybridising old roses, few people know of his own small garden in the Pithiviers. This garden, full of his favourite roses planted with compatible herbaceous plants - is a joy to see and is maintained to high standards by a group of skilled volunteers. At Le Manoir de la Javeliére Park, we are invited to lunch by the owner, Patrick Masure, and to view his comprehensive collection of wild roses. Next, we visit the nursery that was originally set up by André Eve for a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of Les Roses Anciennes André Eve where work is still underway creating beautiful new French roses. We then journey on to Hôtel Le Choiseul overlooking the River Loire in Amboise, with time to settle in before dining in the hotel restaurant.
Day 3:
The fairy-tale Château Rivau has a remarkable garden with a remarkable owner. Patricia Laigneau has planned her colourful garden to wrap around the château. With a particular passion for roses, she will take us on a special tour to show how roses are interwoven into all corners of the garden before a delicious lunch together. In the afternoon we have a private visit to the Loubert Rose Collection where over 2,500 different speciesand cultivars of the genus Rosa comprise a French National Collection, its main purpose to preserve and display Rose species as well as old and rare varieties. We then return to Hôtel Le Choiseul for dinner together.
Day 4:
In the heart of Touraine, we find Chédigny, ‘village des roses’, the only village in France to be ranked as a ‘Jardin Remarquable’ for its extraordinary collection of roses and Rose Festival. We are then invited to lunch and Vouvray wine tasting at Château de Valmer owned by the same family for five generations. Today the Count & Countess de Saint Venant still live in the château, their son, Jean de Saint Venant managing the property and vineyards. Later, we visit the gardens of Château de Villandry a unique testament to Renaissance architecture with decorative potager and symbolic ornamental garden. Villandry has long been the epitome of decorative vegetable gardens; the standard of horticulture, attention to detail, and clever design remain a total delight; we meet the head gardener to discuss the standard roses that give the rhythm and the high notes to the potager. We then return to Hôtel Le Choiseul for dinner together.
Day 5:
Moving up-river we pass the village of Cormeray to find a small rose garden, product of the full-blown passion of owner, Brigitte Chiron- Charaud. We then find Les Jardins de Roquelin where Stephane Chassine, who previously worked for André Eve, has created a very beautiful cottage garden full of his favourite old roses on the banks of the Loire. The coach will then drive to Paris, Gare du Nord for our evening Eurostar service to London St Pancras.

One night with dinner at Hôtel Les Pléiades, Barbizon
Three nights at Hôtel Le Choiseul, Amboise, bed & breakfast and dinner with wine included
Five lunches
Return tickets on Eurostar
Private coach transfers and excursions
Guided visits to sites listed in the programme
Services of the Leader and Tour Host
Detailed programme and garden notes
All entrance fees, taxes and gratuities for coach driver

Maïté Delmas

Kew-trained professional horticulturist, currently in charge of public relations for the Jardins des Plantes in Paris. Thirty years’ experience in managing plant collections gained at Kew, Bordeaux and Paris Botanic Gardens. Active promoter of the network of Botanic Gardens of France in French speaking countries which she represents in many international committees. Keen to share her love for plants and gardens and to add historic and cultural insights into regions visited. Currently participating in the work of Jardins et Santé a recent French charity which, by opening gardens to the public, raises funds for the creation or rehabilitation of therapeutic gardens and support of clinical research projects on brain diseases.

Michael Marriott

Michael Marriott has recently retired having worked at David Austin Roses as a technical manager and senior rosarian, and remains as one of the world’s most-respected rose experts. He is also well-known for his rose garden design and his common sense approach to gardening. In his work he travels the globe, often sharing his expertise in lively radio, TV, newspaper and magazine interviews.

Your Accommodation

Les Pleiades Hôtel & Spa

★★★★

Hôtel Les Pleiades Hôtel & Spa is located in Barbizon, just 5.6 miles from Château de Fontainebleau and 8.7 miles from Melun. The hotel offers a wellness centre proposing massage treatments, a hammam, as well as an outdoor pool and a heated indoor pool. Free WiFi is available throughout.

Room Facilities & Amenities

En suite bathroom
Bathrobes
Air conditioning
Desk
Room service
Safe
Flatscreen TV

Hôtel Le Choiseul

★★★★

Located in Amboise on the banks of the river, Hôtel Le Choiseul is composed of 3 18th-century residences. Rooms have a view over the gardens or the Loire River and free Wi-Fi access.