The Garden Conservancy is pleased to extend a special rate to our members for Alliance Française Miami Metro’s “The Making Of The French Garden” Virtual Series, live from France via Zoom. The series traces the evolution of the French garden from the enclosed gardens of the Middle Ages, through the magnificent Renaissance gardens created by Italian gardeners in the Loire Valley for the Valois kings upon their return from the Italian Wars in the 16th century, through the Classical gardens created by André Le Nôtre for Louis XIV and his court in and around Paris in the 17th century, through the landscape jardins à l’anglaise that swept France from the late 18th through the late 19th century, and ending with the revival of the formal jardins à la française at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. After an introductory lecture to give an overview of the development of the French garden and their designers over the past 500 years, the owners and historians of six of France’s most prestigious state- and privately-owned gardens open to the public will tell the stories of how their gardens were designed – and often redesigned more than once over the centuries – evoking the key designers and historical figures and events associated with their gardens. The series will conclude with an overview of the major parks and gardens of Paris. All lectures will be in English. $20 for Garden Conservancy members with Code MERCIALLIANCE2022, $20 general admission.

No gardens better exemplify the style of the French Renaissance period than the gardens of Villandry, which were recreated by Joachim Carvallo and his American wife Ann Coleman after their purchase of Villandry in 1906, replacing an English garden.  In the absence of the plan for the original garden, the design of the new Renaissance gardens was inspired by the engravings by Androuet du Cerceau of the gardens designed by Dom Pacello de Mercogliano for Charles VIII and Louis XII at Amboise and Blois around 1500. Speaker Henri Carvallo is the owner of the Château de Villandry and the great-grandson of Joachim and Ann Carvallo. Henri grew up at Villandry, handing out flyers for the château, acting as a guide, and helping with maintenance. Since taking over the estate from his parents in 1993, Henri has devoted himself full-time to managing Villandry, including the restoration and upkeep of the château and its extensive gardens. Among his other interests, Henri has been president of the French Chess Association for the past two years. Order HERE.