Castles with Gardens: Villandry, Chenonceau, Sissinghurst and More

Many castles today are prized as much for their gardens as for their architecture. Formal parterres, rose gardens and blossoming avenues turn a fortress or residence into a place worth returning to in every season. Here are castles where the garden is not a backdrop but the main attraction.

Bouquets fit for a castle: large rose bouquets and garden roses.

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Six castles with gardens

• Villandry (France). This Loire Valley château is known for Renaissance-style gardens restored in the early 20th century. Its most unusual feature is an ornamental kitchen garden where cabbages and lettuces are planted in geometric patterns.
• Chenonceau (France). The château that spans the River Cher is flanked by two gardens associated with Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de’ Medici.
• Sissinghurst (England). A garden created in the 1930s by the writer Vita Sackville-West and her husband around the ruins of a castle. Its famous White Garden is copied by gardeners worldwide.

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• Mainau (Germany). An island on Lake Constance with a Baroque palace, known as the flower island: tulips in spring, roses in summer, dahlias in autumn.
• Himeji (Japan). A brilliant white castle on the UNESCO list, surrounded by hundreds of cherry trees, with the traditional Koko-en garden beside it.
• Alnwick (England). Besides a grand cascade and a rose garden, it has a Poison Garden of dangerous plants that can only be visited with a guide.

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And in Ukraine?

Few castle gardens in Ukraine survive in their original form. Pidhirtsi Castle in the Lviv region was once surrounded by an Italian-style terraced garden; today the castle is gradually being restored. For gardens, Ukrainians tend to visit arboretums instead, which we cover in flower parks and plantations; for gardens abroad, see famous gardens of the world.

FAQ

Which castle is famous for its kitchen garden?

Villandry in France, whose ornamental vegetable garden is planted in patterns and replanted twice a year.

When is the best time to see castle gardens?

From May to September; for Himeji, during cherry blossom season, usually in early April.

Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.

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