"We can complain because rose bushes
have thorns, or rejoice
because thorn bushes have roses."
"Nous pouvons nous plaindre parce que les buissons
de roses ont des épines, ou nous réjouir parce que
les buissons épineux portent des roses."
- Abraham Lincoln -
- La Dame à la Licorne [Lady and Unicorn] -
- Pierre Le Colas -
- Copyright Pierre Le Colas (lien) -
<> Ballet Le Corsaire. Chorégraphy Marius Petipa [1818-1910]. Music Adolphe-Charles Adam [1803-1856].
Dancers Isaac Hernandez et Jurgita Dronina. Copyright Het Nationale Ballet [Amsterdam – Pays-Bas] – Isaac Hernandez – Jurgita Dronina.
<> PRELIMINARY REMARK - TRANSLATION :
In English, a "rose bush" is translated into French as "un rosier".
The flower itself, the Rose, is translated into French as "une Rose" (same word).
But the colour "pink" is also translated into French as "rose".
So, an automatic translator is going to translate the flower "Rose" into the colour "pink" :o(
<> WELCOME TO MY ROSE GARDEN :
The hieroglyphs read "pr ndm nfr", which means "Sweet and lovely place".
To get in touch, send an email to
<> REWARDS :
* French TV (link to play video) TF1 were in my rose garden in june 2022.
* May 2018 : journalists from La Nouvelle République recorded this video (link) "Brigitte opens her rose garden to birds and visitors"
* 9 members of the prestigious American Rose Society (link) visited the rose garden in June 2015.
* 18 American tourists visited in June 2016, from Coopersmith's (link) Californian garden tour company.
* 32 members of Garden Club Borgomanero, Italy, visited in June 2019, with Gianfranco Giustina who was rewarded "Best Gardener of the World" 2014, by the Royal Horticultural Society.
* 4 American ladies, rose experts, on 2nd June 2022. Nita-Jo Rountree gave me her book.
* An English group with the travel agency Boxwood Tours (link)- Arena Travel on 3rd June 2022, with roserian Michael Marriott (link).
* An American group with the travel agency Boxwood Tours, with roserian Paul Zimmerman (link) in May 2023.
* My rose garden is recommended by the French Rose Society (link) web site, and many other web sites.
* It is an official BirdLife shelter (link), here is my birdshelter (link) and has 4 bug hotels (link) : the first (link), the second (link), the third (link) and the fourth (link).
* The rose garden is a wildlife friendly garden, and has been rewarded by the French National Horticultural Society.
<> LOCATION :
It is situated in the Loire Valley : 17 km from Blois Castle, and 6 km from Cheverny Castle.
How to get here ? click this Location link, to see the map.
23 artists did me the honour of allowing me the use of one, or several, of their artworks (painting or sculpture) on this website.
You will find their names, with links to their own websites, at the bottom of my Home page.
You can find their beautiful unicorn, fairy, elf, dancer Artworks, among my roses...
- Bouquet de Roses - Emile Vernon (link) [French painter -1872-1919] -
<> VISIT :
- PRICE : book your visit in advance : individual rate €10 - visit for 1 single €20 - Private visit : flat rate €50 [1 to 5 visitors - then €10 each].
- OPENING TIME : From 20th May to 20th September 2024.
- The rose garden is opened 3 or 4 times A WEEK :
- MAKE AN APPOINTMENT : mail
- The rose garden is WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE.
- The visit is not suitable for young children because rose prickles can be dangerous.
- ANIMALS aren’ t accepted within the rose garden, except guide dogs, of course.
<> A PAINTER AND MY ROSES :
Over 6 years, Carol Cavalaris (link) (USA) painted a collection "Brigitte' s Roses" (link) from the photos I took of my roses.
With Sean Mc Coy, she created 2 videos, featuring these artworks (except the 19 most recent paintings). Music of L.J Heart and herself.
She dedicated her painting "Woman in the Rose Gown" (link) to me, and she said that "I know the secret of roses". I feel very grateful.
Should you wish to see the photos of the roses which inspired Carol, and her paintings, go to this link.
<> ROSES :
I grow 830 roses, of 755 different varieties :
- Old roses (I particularly like Moss roses)
- Hybrid tea roses
- Floribunda roses and polyantha roses
- Climbing roses and rambling roses, grown on arches and pergola
- Shrub roses [I have a large collection of Musk Roses]
- Ground-cover roses
- Standard roses and Weeping Standard roses
- "English" roses
Most of the roses I grow are repeat-flowering roses.
---l> To know the names and varieties of roses I am taking care of, please click this "Index of roses" link.
<> THE ROSE GARDEN :
I don’ t use roses in mixed borders, all my borders are made entirely of roses, and I mix bright colours with soft colours.
Perennials are planted along the 4 bug hotels, and along the hedges around the rose garden.
I use different varieties per bed of roses. I grow roses organically, and do not use mulch.
I water deeply rather than frequently (once a week).
Once a year, I use an organic fertilizer.
All my roses are grown on root stocks, and planted bare-rooted.
"What a lovely thing a rose is !
Its smell and its color are an embellishment of life...
We have much to hope from the flowers."
"Comme une rose est une jolie chose !
sa couleur et son parfum embellissent la vie...
Nous avons beaucoup à espérer des fleurs."
- Arthur Conan Doyle -
- Licorne en plomb [Lead Unicorn] - Hôtel Fumé [Poitiers] - 16th century -