Le Lude’s garden is classified as a « remarquable garden » (« Jardin remarquable ») by the french Ministry of Culture.
A Renaissance terraced garden
Since the 17th century, the old stronghold surrounded by its wide moat gave way to an elegant terrace edged by a stone balustrade of over 200 metres long, while a ‘suspended’ garden was created in the 18th century on the foundations of the fortress.
French tradition and english influence
The lower gardens running along the riverbank were originally a vegetable garden, which was transformed into French style gardens by renowned landscaper Edouard André, in the 19th century. Parterres of flowers and ponds succeed each other, while an assortment of scented flowering shrubs (chimonanthus, lilac, philadelphus, calycanthus…) form a long border along the wall. At the same period, the great fields that spread over the opposite bank were planted as a landscape park. The spring garden provides the link to the woodland park. Spring-flowering perennials (hellebore, euphorbia, geranium) surround rocaille features built in the 19th century: a kiosk, grotto and landing stage. Recently, a collection of rare trees and shrubs has been planted under the direction of the plant collector Jacky Pousse. A lot of winterflowering shrubs, such as daphne, mahonia, sarcococca and lonicera, can be discovered in the park, but also several species of maples, limetrees, oaks, styrax etc…
A chinese rose collection
The « spur garden »(Jardin de l’Eperon), designed in 1997 by Count Augustin d’Ursel, spreads out in front of the Louis XVI façade. The yew hedges map out the architecture of the fortress and enclose a maze of box and a rose garden. There one finds a collection of Chinese, tea and hybrid tea roses such as 'Mutabilis', ‘Sanguinea’, 'Old Blush', Le Vesuve’ and ‘Irene Watts'.
The family kitchen garden
The 2-hectares kitchen garden were designed by Edouard André in 1880. Incorporating several greenhouses, an orangery and beds of seedlings, it is still in use today. Rows of fruit trees, flowers and rare vegetables fill its three terraces. This private garden is open for groups on request, and one week-end each month in season. Every year since 1994, on the first weekend of June, a Garden festival takes place in Le Lude’s gardens, welcoming the best nurseries of Western France, and playing host to the “Prix Pierre-Joseph Redouté”, awarded to the author of the best garden book of the year.
