The thicket of the trick. A 17th century conceit. Placed in various parts of the garden, such curiosities were devised to create a brief and trivial surprise for the visitor.
A topiary garden of Taxus baccata and Buxus sempervirens, with half bole Ilex. where the leaves and flowers of the alchemilla mollis recall of the frothing of the sea. Intense light during the inflorescence. A screen of Cupressus obscures the open view tof the sky.
A trefoiled green chamber whose alternated rib and triangle design is reminiscent of the plans of some Byzantine churches. In the middle, an octogonal ornamental basin is planted with scented water lilies and other odoriferated plants.
A border of thuyas run the length of the second section of the diagonal path, forming a green tunnel flanked by two chambers hemmed by the boles of the Cupressocyparis leylandii.
A newly replanted semi-circular grove of Taxus baccata,with festooned walls functioning like a real theatre with four lateral frameworks, a backstage in greenery and a platform lawn for a stage.
Standing in the right place, facing the garden,one can see the beautiful double perspective of the alleys of Thuyas plicata atrovirens to the right and Tilia to the left, both leading to the chateau.
The maze, a secret room within the garden. Its complexity at odds with the ordered logic of the rest of the garden and the global perception of the world.
* Harmonising with the style of the 17th century chateau. * A parterre designed to be seen from the house. * Nature disciplined in a geometric arrangement of lines, triangles and hexagons. * The wole perfectly incorporated in the landscape. This is the end of the tour of the architectural gardens of la Ballue.
Better than the layout, come and see it for yourself !
Any question regarding the layout of the garden or your visit to come ? Contact our team directly by email chateau@la-ballue.com or phone +33 2 99 97 47 86.