LES JARDINS FRANÇAIS DU MANOIR D'EYRIGNAC

Laid out in the 18th century by the Marquis de la Calprenède, the gardens of Eyrignac were remodelled many times during the 19th century and finally given their present aspect in the 1960s by Gilles Sermadiras de Pouzols de Lile, current owner of the gardens.  Five gardeners work full time to look after the 10 hectares of land.  The result is an extraordinary display of French-style gardening and Tuscan topiary art.  The grounds are lined with grassy pathways bordered with exquisitely trimmed yews, box shrubs and hornbeams creating green chambers for visitors to rest and admire.  It also has its own Chinese pavilion which was designed and built in the 17th century and well maintained ever since.  A large Hornbeam Rotunda creates a sort of “tower” with windows cut into it allowing views over the countryside or into the garden.  At the center of the rotunda is an eight-pointed star representing the cardinal directions.  The stone bowl at its center holds a planting of flowers that vary by season, but are always white.  In spring they are daffodils and in summer, trailing petunias.  Fountains and fishponds ornament the grounds around the 17th century mansion built in pale Sarlat stone.  On either side of the mansion are two pavilions that mark the change of level between the courtyard and the French gardens.  One of the pavilions is actually a small chapel where all special family events are celebrated particularly the baptisms of each newborn child in the family.  The pond is 40 meters long and is constantly replenished by one of the garden’s seven springs.  It used to be a fishpond as well as a place for watering horses and livestock from the old farm.  Today, Florentine pots planted with box shrubs edge the pond.  Between the two orchards of apple trees trained into globes, the Hornbeam Walk forms a main axis of the gardens.  A stepped, path-like strip of box, broken only by the turf and Hornbeam Walk, marks out the vista aligned on the Pavilion of Tranquility.  A Japanese red torii gate is the entry into the newest addition called the Jardin Blanc opened in 2004 with its alleyways lined with white roses leading to five ornamental pools representing the five senses.  This year, three new gardens were opened to the public.  The first of these is the fruit garden, which also has a section devoted to growing replacement trees and shrubs for the garden.  Nearby, are the other two gardens—the beautiful flower garden and farmer’s garden separated by five archways of evergreen.  The entrance to the garden as well as the exit serves as a souvenir shop for visitors offering all sorts of gardening materials, books and housewares.