Experience the pleasures of Brittany’s parks and gardens

Discover the luxuriant and diverse world of gardens in Brittany; each is a living work of art ranging from romantic English gardens, formal French elegance to the exotic. Known for their hospitality and public access policy, the many parks and gardens in Brittany offer a horticultural experience bursting with colour and fragrance.

In 2009, from June 5-7, visitors across Brittany can experience the Rendez-vous in Gardens, a Cultural Department initiative launched 2003 featuring 113 gardens across the region including specialist botanical shows, art exhibitions and a chance to meet the people behind the parks and gardens in the region, some of which are private gardens opened exclusively for the event.

Among the top five gardens in the region are:

FINISTERE

Georges Delaselle Garden – Ile de Batz
Created in 1897 by passionate plant lover Georges Delaselle, this garden offers a unique and unexpected experience on the Batz island as its plethora of plant life from all over the world contrasts with the windswept Atlantic surroundings. The palm grove displays a rare collection of palm trees which can be grown outdoors due to the island’s particular climatic conditions.

Roscoff Exotic Garden - Roscoff
Thanks to the Gulf Stream, this garden has 3,000 tropical species of exotic plants from all over the world which bloom longer in than they would inland. The garden features waterfalls, ornamental lakes with tortoises, rock gardens with cacti, agaves and aloe and an 18 meter high rock offers an outstanding panoramic view over the bay of Morlaix.

MORBIHAN

The Yves Rocher Botanical Garden – La Gacilly
The Yves Rocher Botanical Garden is not only a beautiful spectacle, but also a garden designed using plants that can benefit us all. Over the years, it has expanded to contain over 1,100 plant species. Within the garden sits the Vegetarium, an educational Museum of Plantlife and a result of a partnership between Yves Rocher and the French Natural History Museum. Visitors to the museum are encouraged to take a hands-on approach and see, smell, touch and listen to nature in order to heighten awareness of the fragile balance between humans and nature.

HAUTE-BRETAGNE ILLE-ET-VILAINE

Broceliande Gardens - Le Pommeret

This 24 hectares of landscaped and flower–filled garden is famous for its Iris collections. An educational centre helping the handicapped work and learn about nature, the gardens are a also a rewarding and educational visit. The site has won numerous awards in recent years and in 2008, a dahlia maze was added.

Montmarin Garden – Pleurtuit

Montmarin, was constructed in 1760, and the château, parks and gardens are listed as historic National Monuments. The 15-acre park drops down to the River Rance in a series of gentle terraces. In front of the house, the French formal garden is almost unchanged since the day it was designed and overlooks the delightfully contrasting park, laid out in 1885 in the English style - with historic trees, wide lawns, thickets, rock-gardens and mixed borders.

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