A quick trip round a few French chateaux.

RHS RHS Partners National Trust

flowerborders are so lovely


In July I took a break to France, and booked a gite in the countryside near to the Loire, and we were regularly dive bombed by house martins! I also recommend P and O Ferries for their accessible help on their new ferries, with lifts, and less queueing than eurotunnel. There were a number of chateaux within an hours drive, including Villandry and Chaumont sur le Loire. Some were very accessible.
The best had to be Villandry and also the Chaumont sur le Loire visit was brilliant. It has the International Garden Festival on for the summer months, with some brilliant garden designs. If you are in a wheelchair there are some incredibly good deals, like free entry sometimes, which is always welcome. The actual chateux were limiting as to the floors you can visit, but the gardens are open and mostly accessible. I thought the gardens were amazing everywhere in France, and particularly the wild meadows of grass flowers everywhere, but then I found the RHS the following month!

Villendry Chateau - Beautiful and Accessible Gardens.
Villendry Chateau - Beautiful and Accessible Gardens.
Chaumont sur le Loire Chateau and International Garden Festival - Beautiful and Accessible.
Chaumont sur le Loire Chateau and International Garden Festival - Beautiful and Accessible. The Château de Chaumont sur Loire is also known as Château de Diane de Poitiers, the favourite of Henry I

A signboard of the plants in the gardens lists the following : Euonymus or Euonymus japonicus ; Boxwood, or Buxus sempervirens ; Laurestinus or Viburnum tinus ; Rose of Sharon or Hibiscus syriacus ; Yew or Taxus baccata ; Climbing Rose, or Rosa iceberg ; Euphorbia or graminea glitz ; Vervain, or Verbena rigida ; Diascia or Diascia barbarae - Breeze Plus pink ; Petunia Mirage Light blue ; Petunia Parade Neon, or Rose Instense ; Zinnia Profusion white ; Pennisetum sky rocket ; and Verbena buenos Aires.

Chaumont sur le Loire Chateau plants in the garden include Verbena rigida and Zinnia.

Chaumont sur le Loire Chateau plants in the garden include Verbena rigida and Zinnia.

Chaumont sur le Loire Chateau a small part of the International Garden Festival - Beautiful and Accessible.
Chaumont sur le Loire Chateau a small part of the International Garden Festival - Beautiful and Accessible."
The same International Garden Festival design using a water feature.
The same International Garden Festival design using a water feature."