Gardens

Rendez-vous aux jardins: over 2,200 French parks and gardens to visit

The annual event will take place from June 6 - 8, inviting the public to discover rare sites across France and Europe

Embrace the summertime blues in your French garden

Sarah Beattie loves a blue flower – here she provides tips for growing your own

Important rules for property owners with a garden in France

Bonfires, undergrowth clearance, water usage… check you are on the right side of the law

magazine

Two superb French gardens to explore - just five minutes apart

Meet two Open Gardens hosts in the Auvergne department whose stunning gardens are open to visitors on June 1 this year

‘Peach walls’ of Paris suburb offer glimpse of its horticultural past

Montreuil may not be the obvious place to house orchards of Mediterranean fruit, but it has supported a booming industry and an unlikely man-made microclimate for nearly 400 years

Visit a Yorkshireman's French garden this May and June

‘I am organic to the core’ says the retired horticulturalist whose fine garden is not far from La Rochelle

Is there any gardening work I cannot do in France on a bank holiday?

There are rules on times when certain outside work is permitted

Vernet-les-Bains: France's only flourishing 'Village d’Arboretum'

Explore exotic trees, walking routes and local legends in this unique corner of the Pyrénees-Orientales

French strawberries: the best varieties and when to eat them

Columnist Sue Adams gives her tips on how to get the best out of the long season in France

Tips for achieving peony perfection in your French garden

May is the moment for beautiful peonies

France’s wild garlic season is here – but foragers should beware toxic lookalikes

Spring brings the fragrant plant to woodlands nationwide. We explain what to look out for

Let your lawn grow, water for birds: how to help wildlife in your French garden

‘It is acceptable to have untidy hedgerows,’ says biodiversity spokesperson.

How to help hedgehogs in your garden in France

Follow these tips to create a healthy ecosystem for this protected species

How to pick and cook asparagus in France

Columnist Sue Adams explains how to make the most of the vegetable's short season

What you should do to your garden in France in spring

Weeding, pruning, sowing, preparing the lawn…here is how to welcome sunnier days

France's Loire Valley arboretum puts heather and magnolias in the spring spotlight

‘The forest is coming awake from its winter sleep... Life is coming back again in colour, scent and sound’

French herbs: How to grow your own and use them correctly

Columnist Sue Adams explains the history and tradition of herbes de Provence and fines herbes

Gardening in France: get set to be dazzled by dahlias

March is the perfect time to plant these sun-loving tubers

Explore the gardens behind Monet's colourful lily creations

Visitors to Latour-Marliac gardens can see nearly 300 varieties of water lily growing in one hectare of pools, some of which are the original, restored basins from the 19th Century

Cherry blossoms galore: Europe's largest Japanese garden is in France

Picnic beneath pink trees and celebrate the tradition of Hanami at the Parc Oriental de Maulévrier

What are the rules for burning garden waste in France in 2025?

Spring is a popular time to clean up in garden

Errors to avoid and how to help wildlife as you get your garden in France ready for spring

Gardening with care can make a big difference at this time of year

French property owners and tenants: what are rules for obligatory undergrowth clearance?

Land in many areas must be cleared to reduce risk of forest fires

How to buy, eat and store the best French strawberries

As spring approaches and strawberries come into season, here are top tips for achieving optimal fruity flavour, according to experts

Meet the volunteers vital to the growth of Open Gardens, and find out how you can join too

The association, which raised €22,000 for children’s charities last year, is seeking help with various roles

Lawnmowers recalled in France over risk of blade detaching

The recall scheme lasts until 2027

Why pampas grass is forbidden in French gardens

There are sanctions for offences including introducing the plant into the wild or even owning one

Help scientists this weekend by counting birds in your French garden

France’s largest scientific programme relaunches for the avian wintering season

Now is the time to act against this garden pest in France

Remove processionary caterpillar cocoons before they hatch in spring

Can a mobile home remain parked in French home garden?

Sarah Bright-Thomas of Bright Avocats answers a reader query

How should garden waste be disposed of in France if bonfires are not allowed?

Some areas have also banned disposing of green waste at waste centres

How to deal with snails in your French garden - and can you eat them?

Some harvest the unprompted visitors for food but this can be dangerous - and potentially illegal

Mairie offers grants for electric leaf blowers to reduce noisy gardening in south of France

Residents can receive up to 30% of total cost of tools including lawn mowers and hedge strimmers

How do tax credits work for hiring a gardener in France?

Some homeowners can benefit from a 50% tax credit on gardening work

The trees in your French garden have a worth - here is how to value them online

Owners of properties can see values rise thanks to trees, similarly to garages or barns

Bees protected from Asian hornet attacks by award-winning French device

Frédérique Ripet has won a top business award for creating a device that protects hives from deadly attacks

Photos: ‘How we prepare our garden in south-west France for winter’

Part-time paysanne Sue Adams on protecting your precious plants

Do sit-on lawnmowers require insurance in France?

Larger gardens may require tractor-mowers to keep on top of grass

EU faces legal challenge from French lawyer over weedkiller sale decision

Corinne Lepage fighting decision to allow glyphosate to be sold in Europe for another 10 years

Garden waste disposal is free in Dordogne until November 9

Seven Dordogne déchèteries are offering green waste drops that do not count towards residents’ total

How to identify and destroy toxic plants that grow in French gardens

Some can cause illness or even be fatal if eaten

Obligatory garden clearance in France: New campaign clarifies who is impacted

New residents will be told of rules from January onwards

Falling garden leaves: rules for neighbours in France and can you burn them?

Trees should be planted far enough away from garden boundaries to minimise their impact on neighbouring properties

Photos: Three seasonal autumn gardens to visit in France

Summer may be over but there are beautiful places to admire under the Open Gardens scheme

Get involved and join a local gardening club in France

September is the month when people of all ages join associations

How to keep hunters out of your garden in France

They can enter your land unless you take steps to explicitly state that you do not want them to

Checks, fines, help: rules for clearing undergrowth around French home

Both property owners and tenants must clear their land all year round

Explained: French garden rules on cleaning, bonfires, planting and more

Make sure you stick to the (many) rules if you want to maintain good relationships with your neighbours and avoid fines

Are electric lawn mowers popular in France? How expensive are they?

‘Robot’ lawn mowers are also on the increase

‘Unfair’: Anger over €6,000 bill for clearing neighbour land in France

Débroussaillement is the clearing of overgrowth from a property - and in some cases residents are legally obliged to clear a neighbour’s land at their own cost

France embraces the rise of the robot mowers

Automated robots can keep lawns looking clean with just a weekend of work, and basic models can start from less than €1,000

Do I need permission to have a garden party on July 14? Are fireworks allowed?

The law is fairly relaxed but there are some precautions to take, particularly if you do not want to create a rift with your neighbours

Can I move from the UK to France with houseplants?

There are strict regulations since Brexit

Stunning French arboretum to celebrate 10 years of 'Open Gardens'

Sarah Beattie speaks to gardener Nell, whose spectacular Creuse arboretrum is listed as a ‘Jardin Remarquable’

Does French law allow me to remove a tree growing next to my garden?

Neighbouring trees can be inconvenient or even dangerous to another property

Box tree caterpillar cases rise in France: How to protect your hedges

Climate change is helping the insect to spread across the country, requiring a multi-pronged approach to tackle the threat

Gardener develops cacti suitable for the temperatures of… Normandy

A gardener in Normandy has started to sell cacti from the deserts of the United States, which he has adapted to grow in the cold clay soils of the region