Castillon Gardens
The origins of Castillon gardens
The origins of the Castillon gardens lie with Hubert Sainte-Beuve, an English garden and plant enthusiast, and his wife Colette. In 1974, they bought a nursery near Bernay after the death of its owner. Unfortunately, most plants die off in the following seasons. But they don’t give up.
The couple set off on anadventure to England to bring back some perennial plants, little considered in France, hidden in the boot of their car. Initiated by her husband, Colette became fascinated and began a fine collection of perennial geraniums. She is also interested in officinal plants, old roses, shade plants, grasses… She even took part in the first edition of the Courson Plant Days, where she has been exhibiting since 1982.
The first,English-inspired garden was created in the 1980s, and the second, more structured, in 2001. The couple’s aim is to show and promote plants and pass on their passion to visitors. In 2004, they were awarded the ” Remarkable Garden ” label by the Conseil National des Parcs et Jardins of the French Ministry of Culture and Communication. In 2009, they received the “Garden of the Year” award from the Association des Journalistes du Jardin et de l’Horticulture.
Visit the gardens of Castillon
The first garden is a group of 8 themed areas surrounded by yew hedges. Each space has its own ambience, its own scents and an enchanting name:
- the Water Garden, home to numerous fish, including an Amur carp.
- the Bassin aux nymphéas, home to koi carp.
- the Allée des fleurs with its eupatoires and Japanese maples.
- the Oriental Garden with its Japanese ambiance.
- the Pergola.
- la Clairière ensoleillée and its birch trees.
- the Little Theater
- the Scent Garden.
Designed in collaboration with a Parisian landscape artist, the second garden dates back to 2001. On a surface similar to the first garden, it consists of 3 terraces: an upper terrace with grasses, an intermediate terrace called the blue garden and a lower terrace with daylilies. The tour ends with a boxwood labyrinth.
Information, rates and schedules
After your stroll through the two gardens, you can take a break in a small tearoom offering drinks and cakes, before resuming your exploration of Calvados. You can also take home a plant, on sale in the gardens’ nursery area. Most of the plants featured in the gardens are for sale.
The Castillon gardens are open to visitors from May 12 to October 12. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 2pm to 5pm. In June and July, they are also open on Sundays from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Admission to the Castillon gardens costs €7 per adult and €4 per child aged 4 and over. Admission is free for children under 4 years old.
Castillon is less than 10km from the 4-star L’Escapade campsite. Leaving Cahagnolles, take the D99 north, then the D99A at Saint-Paul-du-Vernay to Castillon. The 10-minute drive can also be made on foot in around 1h30.
