I want to give thanks to Claude Monet, who created this enchanting garden in Giverny, France outside of Paris. His paintings were revolutionary in their day and now they are beloved by people all over the world. I am also grateful for those responsible for preserving his home and garden and sharing it with the public. We were fortunate to visit the home and gardens on June 7. The gardens had been closed due to flooding and just reopened that day. In the morning the skies were grey and the air misty. Later the sun peaked out and the famous waterlilies opened. Like Monet, his gardens inspired me to make “pictures.” I have taken artistic license with the digital photos, just as I do as a painter. As usual, I had trouble deciding which to show, so I’ll just roll them out gradually, so you can have a feel for the place. Have a marvelous thanksgiving!
Monet’s home backs right up to the narrow lane of the tiny village.
There are two gardens with distinctive styles. This is the open space directly in front of the house , divided into geometric sections bordered by pea gravel pathways.
I have always loved orange poppies with purple irises.
a bit closer
shrubs and trees give another dimension to the design
the trellises match the color of the shutters and the famous bridges to bring a rhythm to the design
climbing roses stand out against the misty hills and sky
I read somewhere that Monet employed two full-time gardeners to give himself time to paint
this gives a suggestion of the countryside surrounding Giverny
peonies are a special treat in spring
repeating arches for climbing roses also give the design unity
the variety of greens around the blooms gives interest throughout the space
the allium spheres play off the spiky blooms
this closeup of a pink and purple poppy reveals a bee
I isolated the poppy and gave it a gradated background