There’s much to learn from this young, yet innovative garden in southwest France when it comes to interesting Mediterranean plant choices
IN BRIEF
What A garden made by two horticulture and design professionals.
Where Southwest France.
Size 2,275 square metres.
Soil Alluvial, free-draining.
Climate Mediterranean, unpredictable and harsh. Dry winters, periodic heavy rainfall in autumn and spring, and hot, dry summers. Temperatures range from -15ºC in winter to 40ºC in summer.
Hardiness zone USDA 8.
It’s not often that your first sight of a garden is from above. But Le Jardin Champêtre in the Occitanie region of southwest France offers just that opportunity. Set in a river valley, the garden sits four metres below the road allowing you the opportunity to take in the garden’s informally arranged shrubs, grasses and perennials, before climbing down to explore its gravel pathways more fully.
This view from the road was one of the reasons, its owners Imogen Checketts, a former head gardener at Pensthorpe Natural Park in Norfolk, and horticulturist Kate Dumbleton bought the land to base both their garden design practice and a small nursery. “We love the landscape here,” says Kate. “We are in a small, fertile river valley but we have limestone behind us. In minutes you can be high up looking at the Pyrenees, and there are miles and miles of wild landscape with wildflowers such as euphorbias, lavender and phlomis.”
The landscape and its flora has informed not just the pair’s own garden but also the plants they offer clients through their garden design practice. “Our extra layer is the grasses,” says Imogen. These thrive in the alluvial soil, which combines being free-draining with having a relatively high water table. Grasses and perennials establish quickly, but there is now a taller woody plant layer developing made up of various species of Phillyria, the strawberry tree Arbutus unedo, Rhamnus alaternus and Pistacia lentiscus – all classic western Mediterranean species. These are growing and, in some cases, being pruned into more tree-like forms, partly to create space beneath for planting. To begin with the pair grew annuals too, which they found were good early year fillers, but offered too short a season.
There is a huge range of plants that can thrive in dry summer climates, but traditionally remarkably few have been used in gardens. That is starting to change, in no small part thanks to the influence of Olivier Filippi, whose celebrated nursery, Pépinière Filippi with its 2,000 or so different plant lines, is around an hour-and-a-half ’s drive from Le Jardin Champêtre. Filippi has done much to make the case for drought-tolerant planting, and is inspiring many other innovative gardeners.
At Le Jardin Champêtre there is evidence of this strong sense of innovation, experimentation and indeed iconoclasm. “We’re dropping lavenders,” states Imogen. “In our clients’ gardens we are often using Eriogonum fasciculatum instead.” While some might deem it almost sacrilege to omit lavender from a Mediterranean-zone palette, it is a relatively short-lived plant that ages badly and cannot be regenerated by hard pruning. Eriogonum fasciculatum may lack lavender’s colourful flowers and scent, but it does make a far better low, grey-leaved shrub, and it can be pruned hard to produce nicely bushy plants. And its papery flowers are also, like many of the plants at Le Jardin Champêtre, adored by pollinators. “It’s important to have plants that have an additional use, such as for wildlife” says Imogen. Two other plants she highlights as being great pollinator magnates are Salvia ‘Allen Chickering’ and Origanum syriacum.
Pruning is an important part of the management of many Mediterranean plants, and to a large extent mimics the constant nibbling by goats and sheep that many plants naturally receive. “Some clients need guidance on pruning,” says Kate. “It’s important to know when to trim these plants.” Light pruning can prolong the lifespans of cistus and lavender, while some such as santolina can be regenerated by harder pruning. Pruning also helps reduce drought stress in the summer. The other, even more useful piece of advice they pass on to clients is to plant small. Small plants will adapt rapidly to the soil conditions and send roots downwards wherever necessary to access moisture. At Le Jardin Champêtre Imogen and Kate water plants only in their first year then not at all once they are established.
While their garden offers opportunities for Imogen and Kate to trial techniques and plants, it is also a garden designed to be enjoyed – and to act as a stylish showcase for the nursery and design practice. “We have open weekends, which we find more effective than regular opening,” says Kate. Their client base comes entirely by word of mouth, which has its benefits, but as Kate points out can bring its own problems. “There is the challenge of doing different plantings in places where so many people know each other – we don’t want to repeat ourselves,” she says.
Still a young garden, Le Jardin Champêtre will be exciting to watch in future years. Part of a new generation of Mediterranean-zone gardens that are dramatically increasing planting possibilities, its flora and experience may well help gardens elsewhere make the necessary adaptations to climate change.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Address 19 bis Avenue de la Montagne Noire, 11160 Caunes-Minervois, France. Tel +33 (0)7 80 43 32 62 Web lejardinchampetre.com Open The garden will open this summer in partnership with the Caunes-Minervois arts trail on 18-19 June, 2-3 July and 16-17 July, 4pm-8pm.
Four combinations from Le Jardin Champêtre
Grasses, including the short-lived but readily self-seeding Stipa tenuissima (1), thrive in the garden’s alluvial soil, but are an unusual sight in Mediterranean gardens. More common is Achillea coarctata (2), an effective groundcover species that Imogen and Kate use as a lawn alternative. They’re starting to phase out high-maintenance lavenders, such as Lavandula x intermedia ‘Impress Purple’ (3) and ‘Alba’ (4) and slowly replacing with Eriogonum fasciculatum (5).
The foliage of Miscanthus sinensis ‘Saturnia’ (1) creates a lush lead for this border alongside Bupleurum fruticosum (2), which dominates here. It’s a long-lived shrub that rapidly establishes itself and is ideal for dry summer climates. Here this remarkably useful shrub works well with Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii (3), the blue Salvia yangii (4), which flowers later than many dry-habitat species, and self-seeding purple Verbena bonariensis (5).
Planting is in layers, covering all the soil with a base dominated by grasses, including the silvery heads of Pennisetum orientale (1) and tufted bluegreen leaves of Schizachyrium scoparium (2). At the back Amelanchier canadensis (3) and tall grass Stipa gigantea (4) are underplanted with bulbs, including Allium sphaerocephalon (5) and A. cristophii (6), its seedheads left to prolong interest, and perennials, such as Berkheya purpurea ‘Zulu Warrior’ (7).
Grasses again add structure to this border, with Miscanthus sinensis ‘Yaku-jima’ (1) and Stipa gigantea (2) giving both shade and protection from wind to the planting below. Here the muted whites of Eriogonum fasciculatum (3) and Achillea millefolium (4), and grey spires and foliage of Stachys byzantina (5), contrast with the bold flowers of Lavandula x intermedia ‘Impress Purple’ (6) adding a burst of colour.
16 KEY PLANTS FRO LE JARDIN CHAMPÊTRE
1 Catananche caerulea
Short-lived perennial, with greyish foliage and violet-blue flowers. Plants are narrow so best grown in groups or intermingled with other plants. 1m x 30cm. RHS H5, USDA 4a-7b† .
2 Echinops ritro
Thistle-like foliage in a non-spreading clump. Flowers followed by short-lived but attractive seedheads. 90cm x 45cm. RHS H7, USDA 3a-8b.
3 Eragrostis elliottii
A beautiful, clump-forming grass from the southeastern USA that excels in hot, dry conditions. Its fine, fawn-coloured foliage ages to tan, and in late summer its arching stems are topped with delicate smoky-grey flowers followed by attractive seedheads. 80cm x 60cm. USDA 6a-9b.
4 Eriogonum fasciculatum
A long-lived shrub native to the American West Coast, with papery, grey-white flowers and attractive small leaves. Can be hardpruned and is very drought tolerant. 1.8m x 2.4m. USDA 7a-11.
5 Frankenia laevis
A mat-forming perennial that is the shortest of the groundcovers Imogen and Kate grow. Its foliage turns a lovely red in autumn. Probably not as drought-tolerant as thymes. 1-4cm.
6 Glaucium flavum
The yellow-horned poppy is a short-lived perennial, often grown as a biennial, with striking orange flowers and seedpods. A coastal plant, it has a habit to self-seed in stony places. 50cm x 30cm. RHS H4, USDA 5b-10b.
7 Origanum syriacum
A semi-shrubby oregano relative that has a rather leggy habit, but can be pruned into shape. It’s one of the key ingredients of za’atar, used in Middle Eastern cooking. 60cm x 45cm. RHS H4, USDA 9a-10b.
8 Pennisetum orientale ‘Tall Tails’
One of the best of the genus, forming slowly expanding clumps of neat foliage and creamy, pink-tinged flowerheads. Not notably drought-tolerant. 1.5m x 90cm. RHS H3, USDA 5a-8b. 16 key plants continues on page 93
9 Achillea crithmifolia
A drought-tolerant groundcover with grey foliage that Imogen and Kate keep mown short like a lawn. It’s strongly spreading, so best kept to areas where it can be contained or spread isn’t a problem. 20cm.
10 Achillea coarctata
Another groundcover that Imogen and Kate also mow like a lawn, but slower growing than A. crithmifolia and with a more patchy appearance. Elegant silvery leaves and attractive yellow flowers. 15cm.
11 Achillea millefolium
The common and best-known yarrow, it is also a notably drought-tolerant potential groundcover, but with lusher foliage. Flowers are usually white. 90cm x 60cm. RHS H7, USDA 3a-9b.
12 Allium cristophii
Spectacular large heads of metallic purple flowers are followed by seedheads that last until early autumn. Good for drier soils. 60cm x 20cm. RHS H5, USDA 4a-8b.
13 Allium sphaerocephalon
Dark purple flowerheads on what is a narrow and insubstantial plant, so best grown in quantity and scattered among other plants. 90cm x 8cm. AGM*. RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b.
14 Asphodeline lutea
Striking, early summer, clump-forming perennial with upright stems. Good for dry or stony soils. 90cm x 30cm. RHS H4, USDA 6a-9b.
15 Bulbine frutescens
Amazingly drought-tolerant, slowly spreading perennial, like a miniature Kniphofia. Makes a good groundcover. 45cm x 45cm. RHS H3, USDA 9a-11.
16 Bupleurum fruticosum
A rapidly growing, long-lived evergreen shrub with glossy, blue-green foliage and yellow flowers in summer. An excellent coastal plant. Easily clipped into various shapes. 2m x 2.5m. RHS H4.
*Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. †Hardiness ratings given where available.