The Manoir's garden
'Le Jardin Anglais' is now acknowledged as one of the finest private gardens in France. It was the vision of Alan Mason, to create an English style garden in all its colour and dishevelled splendour that would profit from the comfort of the warm continental climate. From a ramshackle Breton vegetable plot and forest of poplar trees, Alan forged his design and now 20 years on, with more than 15,000 varieties of plants many rare and exotic, the garden has come of age. His work here was the subject of a English television series that captured the imagination of many.
Offering colour for all seasons, it boasts a rosary of some 360 David Austin English Roses that flower from May to November, a Mediterranean garden, arboretum, bamboo copse and herbaceous borders decorating the English formal lawns. Paths and streams meander through the woodland gardens with surprises and vistas around every corner, leading to an Asian themed island and lake to which trout return every year. The main lake linked as it is with the River Vilaine is a haven for local wildlife, including kingfishers, herons, ducks and even coypu. The Garden is under constant development and this year has seen the addition of an aromatic garden, Clematis walk and the beginnings of a wildflower meadow.
The garden has attracted visitors from all over the world, many comparing its beauty to that of Monet’s garden...