Villa Windsor, built in 1924, is being restored by Fondation Mansart

Everyone at “Salon Jardins, Jardin” was curious to discover the villa in the Bois de Boulogne where the Duke and Duchess of Windsor lived when in exile after the King’s abdication. The house was built in 1924 and served briefly from 1945 to 1946 as residence to General de Gaulle and his family. It was also rented for a while by the city of Paris which owns it, to Mohamed Al Fayed in the 1990’s and his dream was for Princess Diana and his son Dodi to move in there permanently. It has been empty since their death and is now being restored by Fondation Mansart, which was founded in 1983 by the Raindre family to preserve the château de Maintenon with the conseil général d’Eure et Loire. Its President, Albéric de Montgolfier (who used to be Conseiller général) is very active with its board of which Isaure and Vanessa Raindre are members: they have recently restored the Trianon de Bagatelle, also in the Bois de Boulogne.

Florence de Mentque and Antoine de Lavalette from Nature & création designed the garden

It was a rainy day and as soon as I saw the beautiful hut created by Anon de Lavalette, I felt like I was in Thailand during the monsoon. WhenI mentioned this, he laughed and sais that his mother was Thai. And this Gardner who has a story sense of staging, had obviously succeeded in transporting us far way with is orchids and beautiful wooden house. this si what Jardins Jardin is trying to do now hats they have moved from the Tuileries. It s not a large garden bu there were a few amusing moments. The wonderful Geraniums which prevent mosquitoes with their citronella smelling leaves at Olive Delanoy, the field of irises planted by Chanel to interest the public in their perfumes, the tiny balcony gardens by Maxime Revoy, and Guillaume Petit from les Pépinières Imbert (north of Lyon) , who presented his érables champêtres en cépée.

Guillaume Petit from Pépinières Imbert with his maple tree “en cépée”

What is wonderful in this sort of fair is the passion which each gardener puts into his plants.

The Prize for landscape gardening was given to “Jardins & Santé“, an association which grows gardens in hospitals and was celebrating its 20 th anniversary. They are therapeutical gardens which help patients cure while gently growing tomatoes, smelling jasmine or roses, keeping busy with the planting or caring of flowers and where all senses are invited. Last week end one could visit private gardens in Senlis and all summer you will be able to visit them around France with a small contribution  to the association.

At Jardins & Santé, gardens help cure the patients through smells, touch and sight

Villa Windsor will reopen at the end of 2025 and you can help speeding its recovery in contributing at Fondation Mansart.