Bois des Moutiers, Botanical garden in Varengeville-sur-Mer, France.
Bois des Moutiers is a garden featuring rhododendrons, azaleas, and magnolias mixed with Normandy's natural vegetation. The grounds include several sections arranged with specific plant groupings and design principles.
In 1898, Guillaume Mallet hired architect Edwin Lutyens and garden designer Gertrude Jekyll to create this seaside estate. This collaboration shaped garden design of that period.
The layout follows Arts and Crafts movement ideas with distinct sections that each have their own plant combinations and color schemes. Visitors can clearly see and experience these differences while walking through.
The garden is easily explored on foot with marked paths leading through different sections. Comfortable shoes are recommended since the terrain is hilly with some slopes.
A Magnolia grandiflora planted in 1899 still thrives here, showing how mild this coastal region can be. This ancient specimen is a rare example of a subtropical plant taking root in Normandy.
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