Ever since the nineteenth century Provence has fascinated its numerous visitors. The heart of Provence-the lower Rhone valley-offers an incomparable range of sites: Roman ruins, winding Renaissance hill towns, and labyrinthine grottoes dominated by lofty peaks. Yet the gardens of Provence have remained as secret as the region itself is celebrated. Gardens in Provence takes its readers on a fascinating private tour of some of the loveliest hidden treasures in the south of France. Author Louisa Jones spent more than five years visiting nearly two hundred gardens and her lively and informative text marries history and horticulture, conveying all the charm of the region. With its extensive plant list and visitor's guide, this book is an unending source of inspiration for garden lovers. Spectacular photographs by Vincent Motte capture all the color, beauty, and magic of this patch of heaven on earth.
For Garden Week in Provence information, see www.susanwornertours.com. For updates on Louisa Jones' books and activities, see the blog at http://louisajones.wordpress.com/
Canadian born Louisa Jones has been gardening in southern France since 1975 when she and her husband bought the old farmhouse they still inhabit. She has written some thirty books about contemporary French gardens, recently specializing in Mediterranean regions. For her first illustrated book, Gardens in Provence (1992) Louisa visited more than two hundred gardens of all styles and sizes. She found that, in the Mediterranean, there is no separation between ornamental and useful or productive gardening. Traditional Mediterranean gardening is "multiple": many pleasures, many uses for all seasons. Like Mediterranean cuisine, it is locally based and economical, but capable of great refinement; pleasure-giving, healthy and accessible to all. It has proven its capacity to maintain a durable partnership with the land. Most recently, Louisa Jones has been exploring vernacular Mediterranean landscapes, worked and fashioned by humankind for millenia, that are today biodiversity hotspots and an inspiration to gifted artists. Louisa has also published two books with leading French ecologist, Gilles Clément. She writes in both English and French, and gardens every day. She also organizes visits to private designer gardens around Avignon in April and October.
