We arrived early, before the crowds, and made our way through the dusty paths, past the lavender knot garden to the ancient wooden portal.
The old bell gave out a satisfying clang as we pulled on the rope to announce our presence.
There to greet us, gardening gloves in hand and rush basket over her arm, was designer and château-owner Patricia Laigneau ready to share with us her vision. A garden where young and old can relive the days of fairy-tales, gentle knights and damsels in distress.
This was our second visit to the fairy-tale Château du Rivau in the Loire valley, and it was just as magical.
A château for all ages
I want to give everyone who comes here a smile
Patricia Laigneau
Our first visit, nearly ten years earlier, was when our children were young and excitement was high.
Around every corner was a new marvel, something strange to peer at and ponder. Soft grasses to tickle tiny hands, cheeky gnomes peeping from the bushes and giant wooden legs running through the trees.
Returning without the ‘enfants terribles’ was a whole new experience.
Relaxed, contemplative, peaceful.
The château is one of those intimate family homes you find nestling amongst the trees all along the Loire valley.
Not the biggest, most royal or famous, but a beautiful gem nestled in a jewel box of greenery.
A lifetime’s work
It’s taken Madame Laigneau years to achieve her vision, and still she dreams of making it even better.
‘I do all my designing in my sleep,’ she laughs. ‘I always have a notebook by my bed to capture my ideas.’
And those ideas are unique.
Huge welly boots and a giant watering can lurk near bushes, an ogre’s den awaits the unwary and flowerpot men stride across a flower strewn chessboard.Recreating Château du Rivau gardens
Eric and Patricia Laigneau bought Château du Rivau in 1992 and began working on the garden three years later.
‘I fell in love with the view of the castle through the yew trees, which I call the clin d’oeil – the wink. To me, it looked like a fairy-tale castle.’
‘That’s what I want the gardens to be, a place for fairies and giants, phoenixes and magic.’
Today there are 15 separate garden areas, spreading over 6 hectares, with different botanicals designed to be in bloom for every month from April to November.
‘When we took it on, there was a bit of the old 18th century formal garden left, but it didn’t match the medieval feel of the castle itself. I set about creating a naturalistic medieval style garden, one in harmony with the geometric designs of the cultivated fields beyond.’
Patricia is a fan of the English gardening style.
‘In France, garden design kind of stopped in the 1800s, yet in England things kept on developing throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.’
‘I prefer the English style and that’s what I have tried to create here, planting flowers for colour, texture and seasonal changes.’
With a background in art history and an interest in contemporary art, Patricia knew she had a lot to learn, and so she enrolled in the National Landscape School.
But it’s her eye for art and her desire to create surprises that has led to Château du Rivau being named a Remarkable Garden of France.
Each section has a theme; vibrant yellows in the north facing part of the garden bring a hint of sunshine on the dullest day.
Garden gnomes hide in the enchanted forest.
Outsize objects make everyone feel small.
And everywhere you’ll find whimsical, quirky, eye-catching sculptures that belong in fairy-tales and myths.
The fairy-tale garden at Château du Rivau
Rapunzel’s hair tumbles from the tower to a bed of gold and blue flowers, while an Alice in Wonderland inspired maze twists and turns.
The Enchanted Forest is full of surprises, and even adults, creeping amongst the soft waving grasses and tall field flowers of the Little Thumbling Garden, can feel as small as Tom Thumb.
And it’s a garden for plantaholics too.
‘Not everyone wants to know the name of every plant, that’s why I link things to literature or nature, but if you love plants and want to study them, the garden is for you too.’
‘I have 4,500 trees here, a huge biodiversity of bird and insect life and 277 varieties of iris, so there is plenty to study, but I want visitors to share our garden and have fun here.’
The ancient roses of Château du Rivau
The château boasts one of the best fragrant rose collections in France, the only one labelled by the French equivalent of Plant Heritage -CCVS, with 450 varieties.
Go in late May or early June and the air is heavy with perfume.
In autumn the enchanted forest is a carpet of cyclamen and ripe fruits hang heavy in the orchard.
Medieval and kitchen gardens
‘I couldn’t reproduce a medieval garden here, we don’t really know what they were like and there are so few documents left to give us clues. But I have tried to capture some of the elements of that time, especially the symbolism of plants, old varieties of fruit trees, native plants and of course natural pest control.’
Instead, Patricia has created a garden dedicated to ancient plants of love potions and medicine, with two entwining hearts – one filled with plants associated with the sweeter side of life, roses, tansy, dittany, salvia – the other holding the more malign, vervain, mandrake and henbane.
The kitchen garden, where a giant bronze mole emerges from the vegetable patch, is bursting with organic fresh veggies, most of which make their way onto the tables of the small restaurant called La Table des Fees (the Pixies’ Table) housed in a nearby outbuilding.
Plants here are grown as big as possible as a tribute to Rabelais Gargantua – the famous French writer lived near the château – and giant pumpkins and gourds grow to astounding proportions.
Inside Château du Rivau
The château itself, restored after a huge fire in 2010 ravaged its roof, glows palely in the sunshine.
This is the family home, so most of the rooms are private, but in the old hunting hall trophies adorn the wall alongside modern art installations, chosen by the Laigneaus, which continue the theme of fantasy and fairy land.
‘It’s a constant challenge to keep things fresh and new – I have a team of four gardeners who work very hard, but there’s always something that needs pruning, clipping or uprooting.’
But Madame Laigneau does not begrudge the hard work.
‘I think gardening is for everyone – if you have any problem in your life, you will feel better for getting out into a garden.’
And we definitely feel better for visiting this charming, quirky and whimsical place.
More about Château du Rivau
The castle and its spectacular gardens are located in the Loire valley, 15 minutes drive south-east of Chinon.
The gardens are open daily from 30 March to 30 November from 10am to 6pm and entry in 2024 is 15.50 Euros for adults with concessions for students, and family tickets.
There’s information in French and English, and an audio-guide is available in many languages.
And if you have the budget, you can stay in the castle in its 4 star luxury bedrooms.
For updates, see their website.
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