This lovely late sunshine has brought back memories of a wonderful lunch we had at our friends’ (Sabine and Christopher Hoysted’s) house in Provence.  Sabine is an interior designer but she could equally be a garden designer as her garden just outside St Remy de Provence (Van Gogh country) is delightful and very pretty indeed.  This garden was only planted last year and apart from the well established olives, a large mulberry tree and some cyprus trees she has produced a very soft, pretty, instant effect using simple plants such as gaura lindheimeri, soft light blue lavenders, rosemary, oregano, thyme, white roses and bright pink peonies.  She tells me that some of her perennials she knew would work well because saw them planted on the roundabouts in Provence as she drove to her house!  (When WE drove down there we started to give marks out of 10 for the roundabout planting – some quite magnificent… some pretty bad – but quite fun!) She has put rounded lavender bushes in groups into the lawn (rather than the flower beds) and she has created secret paths and seating areas by clever, artful  planting and clever use of space.  As usual my photos don’t quite do justice to the subject…

Provence - photo by Caroline Garland

Provence - photo by Caroline Garland

Provence - photo by Caroline Garland

Provence - photo by Caroline Garland

Provence - photos by Caroline Garland

Provence - Photo by Caroline Garland

Provence - photo by Caroline Garland