Visit this award-winning Brittany garden in July
Trial, error, and an English-style striped lawn are a winning combination for this Jardin Ouvert
Malcolm Thompson’s garden is well known in the local area, particularly for its English-style striped lawn. It has won first prize for the best local garden in Plouguernével, Côtes-d’Armor, for the past 12 years and also best garden in the region. Hundreds of visitors pass through the gates when it is open for Bienvenue dans mon Jardin, an open day for gardens which do not use chemicals held every other year throughout France.
This, despite the fact that before Mr Thompson came to live in France in 2005 after a career running a manufacturing business, he had never done any gardening, and despite the fact that the 3,000m² area was completely overgrown.
“At 58 I was told I would have to give up work due to health problems so I came to France and started something new. It shows you don’t need a background in gardening. I succeeded by trial and error. You have to learn by making mistakes. You can also always ask other gardeners questions as they are always so keen to help.”
His garden is divided into three areas. A formal area at the front with his striped lawn, a vegetable garden with raised beds where he grows everything from seed and finally what he calls his ‘park’, where there is a duck pond and plenty of shrubs including hydrangea and camellias.
He turns all his garden waste into compost which he puts back on the beds every year. He loves vivid colours and has plenty of lilies and dahlias. But his pride and joy is his lawn: “French visitors say they love my lawn because there is nothing else like it in central Brittany.”
Address: 50 Route de Rostrenen, Plouguernével, Côtes-d’Armor, Brittany
Open every Sunday in July 10:00-18:00.
To read about more gardens to visit in July, see the latest edition of The Connexion, on sale in newsagents and available to buy here.
The Open Gardens/Jardins Ouverts scheme encourages garden owners of all nationalities to open up their gardens, big and small to the public, to raise funds for charity. For more Open Gardens to explore, or to open up your own garden to visitors, please visit the website.
