Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Giverny and Versailles

 
I promised to show more of my French stitching stash.
Two kits, and three charts...

.
and a book called "A Weekend in the Country", and three pairs of scissors.
 
Today I was able to feed one of my other passions - gardening.
Mom and I joined a tour to Monet's garden at Giverny.
 
After having seen several of Monet's paintings of his garden in the Musee d'Orsay, it was rather surreal to view some of the same scenes he'd so famously executed on canvas.
 
The waterlily pond was much larger than I'd anticipated.  The guide said that Monet received permission from French Prime Minister Clemenceau to divert water from the nearby river to create his pond.
 
The pond had lots of happy French pool frogs (Rana ridibunda).  Have you ever heard a French frog?  Seriously - they croak with an accent!  They sound nothing like my American frogs do. If you are interested click over to listen to this YouTube video.
 
This part of the garden is closest to Monet's house.  The arched trellises will be covered in roses later in the summer.
 
In early June the garden exploded with lupin, allium, columbine, bachelor buttons, pansies, clematis, wisteria, and iris.
 
Then marching along for several rows on each side of the trellises, were long narrow beds - some with iris... 
 
...some with a jumble of different plants.
 
This is the view from the upper story of Monet's house.
 
The garden successfully used both cool and hot colors.  Perennials and annuals.  I would say it was more about bloom than foliage.
 
As we left Giverny there was a small meadow of red poppies.  With my degree in history red poppies remind me of World War I.
"In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row". John McCrae
 
/We spent the afternoon at Versailles.  A totally different kind of abode and garden.  Both were built on a scale that is overwhelming.
I preferred the intimacy of Giverny. 

17 comments:

FN said...

Monet's garden--one of my very favorite places! Your pictures are gorgeous! I want to go back there. It is really n extraordinary place! Thank you for sharing your photos!
Frances

Ann at Beadlework. said...

Two beautiful places to visit, the flowers look really lovely - what great memories you are going to have of this trip.

Vickie said...

ooOoo! Just lovely.

Margaret said...

So coooool!!!! And OMG! Those frogs sound amazing! Soooo different! Love it! Nice stash too!

cucki said...

Wow so lovely x

backporchcarver said...

Wow! Monet's garden, how special is that. So peaceful,well except for the frogs, that wound would take some getting used to,very interesting how different they sound.Loved the scissors too!

carol fun said...

Beautiful pictures -- I'm really enjoying your trip!

Maggee said...

Those frogs ARE different sounding! How funny! Gardens are great--gosh, we can certainly see where he received some of his inspiration can't we? I have ancestors who lived in Flanders/Belgium so when I discovered that, I was taken in by all things Flanders! It surely explains why I always LOVED the poppies in San Francisco, growing up! Thanks for the garden tour... Hugs!

Barb said...

Seeing Monet's Garden would be like a dream to me. The pictures are just beautiful. As a gardener, you must have had a marvelous day!

Annette-California said...

I've near heard Frogs like those - lol. They do have a French accent. I have to say the Monet's Garden is surreal. Beautiful and Fantastic photos you took. OH Beth thank you for sharing all these spectacular sights with us. love Annette

Chris said...

sigh...so lovely.
Love the stash too!

Giovanna said...

Lovely pictures of Monet's garden! I've never been there, but his giant waterlily canvases in the Orangerie in Paris were a good substitute - did you get to see those?

Kellie from Indiana said...

I used to have Monet prints all over my very first apartment, your pictures are stunning. Even better than the ones in the Monet books I have :)

The Inspired Stitcher said...

What a wonderful experience to visit Monet's garden! It's so fun to see the place that inspired the paintings. Love the new stash too!

Carol said...

Oh, I'll bet this was one of your favorite days, yet, Beth... Your photos are wonderful--love that French croaking frog :)

Athena at Minervas Garden said...

Giverny is such an inspirational garden--thank you so much for sharing the beautiful pictures with us! I read a book a long time ago about the garden, and was so taken with the espaliered fruit trees there that I decided to learn how to graft and train my own. Glad that I did!

Melanie said...

Ha! What curious sounding little frogs! Nothing at all like bullfrogs or peepers.
Lovely, lovely photos. :)