Louis Benech, the garden magician

parisdiaFlowers and gardens14 Comments

I have been meeting gardener Louis Benech at the butcher recently, since we live at equidistance of the shop and he was so busy with new projects and a new book, that I thought it would be fun to catch up on his career. There is not a country in the western world where he has not had an interesting … Read More

More confinement, six weeks later

parisdiaFlowers and gardens1 Comment

When I wrote last week that I did not understand why there were no dogwoods in France, one of you, faithful reader, sent me a picture of hers from Genthod, near Geneva. And her “Cornus Cherokee” is pink, the Cornus Nuttalli is white. What luxury! I am thrilled by your inventive ideas and delighted to find more and more shops … Read More

Confinement around the world

parisdiaFlowers and gardens7 Comments

You have been many to send me your confinement pictures. Thanks. Here are some of the most  beautiful. Suddenly, we all discover magical worlds in the countryside or in town. The great advantage of course, is that spring, the nicest season of all, has definitely settled in with temperatures of 25° in Paris. Of course it is fall in Australia, … Read More

Exbury, the epitomy of spring beauty

parisdiaFlowers and gardens5 Comments

The first and only time I went to Exbury Gardens, Hampshire, was when I was 13. I had met Kate de Rothschild at a hunt in Compiègne and after a short conversation over breakfast, she mentioned her younger sister, who was the same age as I. “Why don’t you do a language exchange” she offered ” come and spend a … Read More

News from confinement

parisdiaFlowers and gardens12 Comments

The greatest event of the week has been the delivery of flowers from a friend who is happily doing her garden in Arcangues, near Biarritz and decided to share her joy of Spring with her Parisian friends. She had bouquets delivered to all of them around the city… what a brilliant gesture! The saddest news is to see that Le … Read More

Discover Versailles at the Turn of the century

parisdiaFlowers and gardens, Happy moments1 Comment

One hundred years after the Revolution, and fifty years after King Louis Philippe created the historical museum, Château de Versailles had a festive period of resurrection under curator Pierre de Nolhac‘s reign (1892-1920) and the exhibition “Versailles Revival“, which opened a month ago, is a very refreshing vision of what “Marie Antoinette’s castle” had become. Now is the good time … Read More

Joy de Rohan Chabot is back with her treasures

parisdiaArt, Flowers and gardens, Furniture5 Comments

Joy de Rohan Chabot never stops surprising us. She was probably the most beautiful débutante of her generation and her Scottish blood always attracted her to nature. You might remember her spectacular show at Musée Jacquemart André in 2008 or her first one at Tiffany’s, in New York, in 1987? Her bronze creations are all melted by David de Gourcuff in … Read More