Architecture of the Gardens

From the beginning in the 16th century, Thoiry's gardens were designed in harmony with the architectural proportions of the Castle of the alchemist, Raoul Moreau. As the soberly designed terraces et parterres formed a foundation for the monument, so the radiating alleys framed the transparency of the ground floor, axis of the Sun's course. 150 years later, under the influence of Le Nôtre's work at Versailles and Vaux, the French formal garden was created. Claude Desgot, nephew and associate of Le Notre, was an "initiated" in the Divine Proportions used by Thoiry's architect. Inspired by Philibert de L'Orme's creation, Desgot designed parterres and perspectives to enhance the architect's creation. A magicien with landscape perspectives, he succeeded in creating a perfect and unique optical illusion : as the visitor descends the central alley of the southwest parterre, he has the impression that the trees closing the perspective at the end of the garden retreat as he advances, because the linden tree alleys were planted to create an inverted perspective, of which Thoiry is the only known example. In the 19th century, the fashion for woodland and landscape gardens "more natural than Nature" replaced the taste for more classical conceptions. Thoiry was no exception, and of the original Desgot formal gardens, only the grand southwest axis and parterre escaped conversion. Under the auspices of the landscape architect Chatelain, and after, in the 1850's, of Vare, splendid walks of yellow perfumed azaleas and mauve, rose, red, and white rhododendrons were planted. In 1852, many new species were introduced including 51 sequoias, and many other cedars and rare trees whose branches continue to frame the views to the surrounding countryside. In the late 1960's, the Viscount Paul de La Panouse, descendant of Raoul Moreau, restored the northeast parterre and axes, replanting several hundred vanished linden trees to re-create the perspective to the Water Mirror. Since then, his American wife, Annabelle, continues the restoration and development of the Woodland and Bluebell Gardens, increasing the botanical collections, and has, with the landscape architect Timothy Vaughan created an Autumn Garden, with Alain Richert, Rose Garden, a floral border, restored a large part of the Woodland Gardens and the 18th century Green Garden, planting over 30,000 trees and shrubs in the past quarter century, and with Adrien Fisher, a Labyrinthe "Dream of Polyphilis" using over 5000 yews. The Viscountess has also restored the Southwest Parterre, created a long Gallery of peonies, hemerocallis, and other shrubs and perennials, a serpentine alley of hydrangeas and viburnums, a n a flowering mead, and Rose Hill, continuing her collection of old roses, among others. She also has a private White Garden and a Coral colored garden. The visit of the gardens are audio-guided by the "Talking Trees".