Jardin des Paradis, botanical garden in France

The Jardin des Paradis is a 3,000 m² private botanical garden on the Place du Théron in Cordes-sur-Ciel, laid out over three terraces in contemporary, oriental and medieval styles. A rectangular pond serves as a water garden, and the vegetable plots hold chard, leeks, mallow, peppers in 30 varieties, pumpkins and more than 60 varieties of tomato.

The garden was created in 1997 by Eric Ossart and Arnaud Maurières with Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, and opened to the public in 1998. At the end of 2002 the creators stepped back, and the Association Cordes Développement took over its management, keeping to the original spirit. It has been classed Jardin Remarquable since 2004.

The garden follows the spirit of the Chaumont-sur-Loire international garden festival, and each year a temporary theme is added to the permanent structure, visible in the planting and decorative objects. The three terraces are laid out in contemporary, oriental and medieval styles, the oriental one marked by a Persian pavilion. Since late 2002 the Association Cordes Développement has run the garden, keeping to the founders' original intent.

The garden lies on the Place du Théron, on the first terraces of the fortified town of Cordes-sur-Ciel. It is open every day during the warmer months, and an admission fee is charged. The three terraces are laid out in contemporary, oriental and medieval styles, with a rectangular pond as water garden.

The garden develops a new annual theme, visible in its planting and decorative objects as well as in the museum area. The vegetable collection alone holds over 60 tomato varieties and 30 pepper varieties, alongside chard, leeks, mallow and pumpkins.