The Gardens of Kerdalo are tucked away in a secluded wooded valley on the opposite bank of the Jaudy, just moments away from Tréguier, Finistère, Brittany.
It was in 1965 that talented artist Prince Peter Wolkonksy, purchased an eighteen hectare farm close to the little village of Trédarzec. He devoted the next thirty years to pursuing his dream of creating a garden of ‘harmony, poetry and charm… composed of subtle colour palettes and artistic compositions in which nothing has been left chance’. So writes his daughter Isabelle who along with her husband Timothy Vaughan has continued to nurture the dream since the Prince’s death in 1997.
The original farmhouse has been transformed into an elegant, beautifully proportioned manor-house around which more than nine thousand plants with origins from New Zealand to China create ‘innumerable tableaux’ to delight in every direction.
The gardens extend over twenty-five acres with lakes, grottos, statues and whimsies to discover, all offering a host of ideas to take back home with you.
Practical information for Kerdalo Gardens Brittany:
Open Mondays and Saturdays from 2-6pm. April, May, June and September
July and August every afternoon except Sunday
Ticket prices as at 2015: Adults €8.50 Children €4.50
Visits for groups can be arranged by prior agreement throughout the year. Details: kerdalo@wanadoo.fr; tel: 0033 (0)2 96 92 35 94
GPS Latitude : 48.789915 / Longitude : -3.216659
Jane Gifford is a writer and photographer specialising in travel, garden, wildlife and environmental issues: janegifford.net
