The gardens of the Manor of Eyrignac
February 27, 2013 61 Comments
Topiaries at Eyrignac
Dordogne was the logical option for us to go to after spending the first part of our camping holiday in the Bordeaux area as it was just a good three hours drive eastward. I had no clue as to what can be expected in this part of France. The husband went camping here with his parents and older brother when he was small (that was over 3 decades ago) and his memory were only of the caves for which he became claustrophobic. He still dreams of those stalagmites and stalactites and how they would grow into monsters that would suck the life out of him. Another friend from Scotland (we became friends when we stayed in the same agriturismo in Tuscany two summers earlier) holidayed in Dordogne the year before and only had horror stories to tell from unending bad weather and compounded by car breakdown. Thus, to be honest, I had my worries too that this might not be the place to go for summer holiday.
What a pleasant surprise! Our whole stay of 1.5 weeks in Dordogne were only characterized by blue skies and warm temperature. We skipped the caves but there were so much to see from markets to Medieval castles and parterre gardens. We were able to enjoy as well a step back in time, a kind of re-living of childhood memories when we spent wonderful idyllic moments fishing in the Dordogne River, having picnic most times in the best of surroundings, swimming in the pool at the camping, etc.
One of the many gardens that caught my eye was the French gardens of the Manor of Eyrignac. It was about an hour’s drive from our camping and was well worth the visit. Nestled in the heart of Perigord Noir, these gardens feature plant sculptures, box embroideries, fountains and fields of wild blooms.
Sculptured plants at the Gardens of the Manor of Eyrignac
Sculptured plants at Eyrignac
Fruit-bearing trees
Father and daughter
Shop and entrance to the gardens
Restaurant at the manor
Topiaries and box embroideries
Star corner
The gardens of the Manor of Eyrignac
Sculptured plants
Topiaries and plant boxes
Ivy-covered building
Centuries-old chapel
View from inside the chapel
The chapel’s altar
The little girl inside the chapel
Sculptured plants
Plant sculptures
The little girl among sculptured plant boxes
Our family
Chinese pagoda
Sculptured arches
My idea of a countryside home and garden
Plant arches and flower garden
I can spend hours here in pure delight
Field of wild blooms
My little girl
Our family
My little girl
Wild blooms
zinnia
Dahlia
Lilly
Butterfly
Not sure what this flower is called but was pretty interesting
Bee
Busy bee
Butterfly among wild blooms
Pruned apple trees
Wild blooms
Dahlias
Fountains
Perigord Noir countryside from the Eyrignac gardens
My little girl
Father and daughter
Enjoying the pricey milkshake on a very warm day
Our family
Goodies from the gardens’ shop
Goodies from the gardens’ shop
About Malou
The photos are breathtakingly BEAUTIFUL ! WOW. Keep it up.
Thank you.
It must take an army of gardeners to care for this place. Beautiful.
I can imagine that such is the case so the entrance fee does not come cheap with the maintenance that’s needed.
Absolutely stunning photographs as always, Malou. Thanks for sharing them.
Thank you, Doug.
Very beautiful photography Malou! A gorgeous setting. Your family is so blessed to travel these places.
Thank you, John. I was just as surprised by what we discovered in that part of France. So many lovely gardens.
The flower that you did not know is an Allium. As you saw it, it had already bloomed and is in its drying phase. I have some of these in my garden at home and when they are dried long enough, they can be pulled out of the bulb and used as fairy wands by little girls or boys.
Thank you for this information. Now that you mentioned it, I now remember it as a round purple flower. Good idea about the fairy wands because my little girl will definitely love that.
Beautiful shots. Love the one where you caught your daughter in mid air. Also thanks for the flower photos. You have reminded me which seeds I need to purchase for this summer.
Thank you, Lucinda. Hmmm…your garden must be a gem in summer.
Don’t the sculpted plants remind you of Edward Scissorhands? Great shots!
That’s true. Without the nice weather, these plants can look a bit eerie I guess.
What a wonderful adventure. I loved the photographs, especially of your daughter and the gardens. The ivy-covered building is enchanting. Thank you for this vicarious holiday!
Thank you, Catherine.
These photos are timeless! Precious memories in the making. Love it!
Thank you. The pictures are just bonus to the many happy memories we had from this holiday.
Thanks so very much for sharing your tour. Loved every photo. I have this want to get on a plane and fly right over. Very nice. Jack
Ha, ha, ha! Wait until the weather warms up and then you’ll really love it there in Dordogne.
You’ve got me longing for summer! I’ve never been a fan of formal gardens (good thing I guess from the state of mine) but these are gorgeous. Thanks for taking me there.
Same here, can hardly wait for the warm weather. Forecast is looking good, we’re expecting 15C next week.
Dordogne had lots of formal gardens and we’ve been to a few.
What an incredible place! The sculpted trees are amazing!
And what incredible photographs: you have great talent!!
Thank you, Michael. There were so many lovely places out there to photograph so I had a great time.
The jump picture is fantastic!
Oh, but I wish I could visit a sculpture garden like that. It looks just incredible, straight out of Alice in Wonderland.
Thank you. There were quite a lot of sculpture gardens out there in Dordogne and with centuries of history behind them. Definitely a must-see when you have the chance to visit France.
What a beautiful place!!Incredible photographs and the little top model
. Your daughter is very pretty and the jumping photograph is one of the best. All the information that you give in this post is very useful. I wish I could travel to this zone.
Visit my place: capturaviaje.com. Many thanks.
Thank you. You also have many lovely places where you are with lots of history and character and I look forward to knowing more about them.
such beautiful flowers, and a beautiful family too….. I can see where you could spend hours there.
Thank you, Miss P. Indeed this is a place where you will lose that sense of time.
Malou! These photos are so beautiful! Most of all your sun-kissed little girl! Always a pleasure to be here. Sharon
Thank you, Sharon.
France in the summer is just a wonderful experience to have. The Canal Di Midi is our favourite
Yes, France has it all. I’d love to do that Canal Du Midi tour someday especially after watching Rick Stein did such a tour and then enjoying the food and wine along the way.
Beautiful photos – as always! I especially loved the one of your daughter mid-air, and the closeup shots of flowers with butterflies and bees.
Thank you, Shimona.
What beautiful gardens! Everything is so green, and the flowers are stunning. And your little girl is so cute!
Thank you, Jessica.
Great batch of shots. The jumping shot of your daughter is a wonderful catch.
Thank you, Hattie.
Love that bee on the blue flower.
Thank you. Chrisstov.
I haven’t visited your blog in a while. It is nice to see all of your beautiful photos!
Thank you, Dana.
(sorry if this posts twice!). I haven’t visited your blog in a while. It is lovely to see your beautiful photos!
Exceptional and so filled with spirit.
Thank you. Tom.
Your pictures are so amazing I feel like I am there too!
Thank you.
Beautiful photos! I’m headed to France in April and looking forward to soaking up some of the culture.
Thank you. I’m sure that you’ll love the country. Spring is also a wonderful time to be there.
Looks like a place of dreams!
Indeed! Hope you’ll also get to see this place one day.
Thanks so, Malou, for the wonderful tour and spectacular images, especially those of all the beautifully-done topiaries! What a fantastic spot for learning and enjoying Nature!
Glad to know that you enjoyed the tour. Gardens out there are spectacular and there’s so much nature to savor. Abundantly blessed country in many ways.
Oh, how absolutely beautiful, Malou.
Thank you.
Amazing gardens. I love topiary, and these are incredible. I can’t imagine what it takes to maintain these…
For a garden lover especially the parterre ones, Dordogne is the place to be. Simply amazing gardens with lots of history.
What beautiful gardens and grounds! Glad to see that the Dordogne was not what you expected
Lots of amazing gardens out there so Dordogne was a wonderful surprise.