order in the garden!

Photos copyright 1995 Gazelle

Le Grande Canal de Versailles and The Palace Garden

It's ironic that the French, known for their laissez-faire (literally translated as "let do") attitude toward many things in life, have a tradition of very ordered landscape design. They completely prevent nature from doing its thing. At least Japanese gardens, meticulously planned as they are, strive to give the illusion of being natural. But the French don't bother with that - highly manicured and sharp angles are the standard.

It's also ironic that the nearby British have a much more "let do" attitude toward landscaping. Their gardens are typically wild and thick with growth. In spite of the fact that if I designed a garden it wouldn't look like the photos above, I enjoyed exploring French parks and gardens. After all, variety is the spice of life, no?