Le Chateau du Lude
On a short holiday in the Loire region of France I convinced myself there must still be a hidden gem of a garden that I hadn’t visited.
Le Chateua du Lude
Having done Villandry, Chaumont and Chenonceau I had to travel north to the banks of the other Loire valley river, Le Loir, and Le Chateau Du Lude.
Rose Garden
Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and has been inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The gardens have evolved to combine French design and an English-style landscape, with a rose garden, topiary, a labyrinth and a botanical walk. And an unpublicised organic kitchen garden.
Lower Garden
The lower garden running along the river, was the original vegetable garden. This was moved further away to create a romantic French-style garden designed by Edouard André a renowned landscaper in the 19th century. Parterres of flowers and ponds succeed each other, with scented flowering shrubs like chimonanthus, lilac, philadelphus and calycanthus along the wall.
The fields opposite were planted as a landscape park.
Lily pond in Lower Garden
The spring garden is full of early perennials but these were mostly over at the time of my visit in June.
Fountain in Lower Garden
Le Loir from under a copper beech
So far, so French. Not too much in the way of flowers or colour after the slightly past-it rose garden. And then I noted there was a kitchen garden.
The Kitchen Garden
It was midday as I arrived as the gardener was locking the gates to the obviously “prive” kitchen garden. Somewhat crestfallen I mustered a smattering of pidgin French to explain I was a garden designer and just wanted some photos. Eager to get to his lunch he opened the gate for me and asked me to lock it when I was finshed. I can’t imagine the National Trust doing that.
A mixture of flowers and fruit and weeds, well it is organic..
Fruit trees in the Kitchen Garden
Sisyrinchium striatum, phlox and California poppies
Orangery, used as a tool store
The Kitchen Garden was the most floriferous part of the gardens, the informality of the planting here is in stark contrast to the more formal areas elsewhere.
Birdbox in the kitchen garden
I would say the garden at Le Chateau du Lude wasn’t quite the hidden gem I was hoping for. Having said that I spent a pleasant couple of hours here. It’s not as busy as all the better known gardens in the Loire and I was grateful for that. There are no refreshments available so you’ll need to bring your own. And, of course, it’s not open at lunchtime…
Website https://www.lelude.com/en/