Monday 29 June 2015

29 June : La Maison Rouge

It is fascinating to visit a garden which has been created from nothing - there is so much to learn from the design decisions and the way that the garden works in practice.


This is a bird's eye view of the garden of La Maison Rouge in Uzès where we stayed for two nights. It was bought five years ago and completely renovated for a year before opening to guests. The patio is immediately in front of the house and is used for breakfasts.


The focal point of the garden is the olive tree which is 200 years old and was imported from Spain and lifted over the back wall by crane. It creates an effective divider between the patio and the swimming pool, breaking sight lines from the house to the pool and allowing some privacy for sunbathing.


The heated pool is small but deep and uses hydrogenated oxygen instead of chlorine to keep the water clean. The subdued colour of the pool tones well with the ochre on the surrounding wall and does not dominate the garden. If you look under the olive tree you will see a wooden crate, an ingenious way to disguise lighting.


There are only a few pots, partly because in summer they have to be watered at least once a day but also because this area can get very cold in winter and so the pots are vulnerable to frost. This means that the garden does not feel cluttered - something I could learn from.


I enjoyed the elements of surprise: the unexpected go-kart on the top of the wall, vintage metal chairs and tables and a hidden area of seating in a shady corner.


I realise now that I do not have a photograph of the beautiful tall red brick house taken from the garden and that is a basic mistake because a garden is always designed in relation to the house.


I enjoyed this garden - it is green and shady with interesting planting for a relatively small space, a pleasant place to drink coffee in the morning or sit and read in the afternoon.

4 comments:

  1. What a charming garden, I am impressed with the natural colouring of the pool, I do dislike that bright aqua colour normally employed.

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  2. Yes - I love the idea of natural pools which you see in very smart gardens with planting around the edge but I suspect that it takes a lot of work to maintain those pools.

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  3. I like that patio - the pebbles in concrete. And the colour of the wall. Very nice.

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  4. I liked the patio a lot - but I suspect that the pebbles were carefully chosen and placed. It looked suspiciously random.

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