A Peaceful Courtyard Garden in Paris

I've always felt that a garden should have a proper sense of entrance and exit, not necessarily a physical boundary but certainly a feeling within ones own mind.

Something changes within my whole being when I enter a garden - there is a mixture of excitement and anticipation - sometimes I am surprised and delighted by what I find, other times disappointment can creep in. A garden can stir the emotions and mind and leave an impression which is sometimes difficult to forget.

Stepping through the huge wooden gates in to this Paris garden felt like entering another completely different world.

When entering the Courtyard a long and narrow cobbled path leads you between two buildings which give way to an open seating area shaded by mature trees through which sunlight filters through. All the city sounds fade away replaced by a deep sense of peace.

The cobblestones are various shades, from grey to a bright salmon pink and all tone in with the patina of the buildings around them.

Beautiful terracotta pots line the pathway filled with colourful and scented plants of all manner and kind. There are window boxes and trellis as well as areas planted with shrubs and quite mature trees.

As the Courtyard opened up I was met with the most charming but simple tables and chairs. Painted in a subtle green colour this metal furniture had light pink cushions that blended in perfectly with the surroundings.

Here you could sit and contemplate, listen to the birdsong, take in the fragrance and colour of the plants, whilst you read a book or had a glass of wine at the end of another Parisian day.

This was a country house setting in the midst of a huge City and another place I would feel reluctant to share!

This garden felt like a world set apart from City reality. Somewhere to switch off and connect with nature for an hour or so whatever the time of day.

As the garden was mainly paved it made maximum use of the vertical surfaces and of containers. There were actually only a handful of plants but these were repeated throughout the garden, in a clever design, and this had the effect of pulling the garden together to amazing effect.

Perhaps the most striking plant was the Hydrangea macrophylla (French Hydrangea) in a gorgeous pink colour. This was scattered throughout the garden in quite large terracotta pots. Rather than using a mix of colours just the one pink had been chosen and cleverly placed for maximum effect.

Space really was at a premium and so use was made of the walls for climbing plants on trellis and also planters strategically placed on balconies. Many of the plants were green in colour giving a harmonious effect but different textures added to the interest and created an intimate feeling. Despite being surrounded by buildings there was privacy and you could just tuck yourself away.

An interesting structural plant was the Chamaerops humilis (European Fan Fern) which was found in most of the wider planted beds at the end of the Courtyard. Its fan shaped leaves were spectacular giving a tropical and exotic feel. This was the perfect choice of plant as it is tough and undemanding but added interest and screening at the same time.

Perhaps my favourite plant was Trachelospermum jasminoides (Star Jasmine) which could be found growing up walls and along trellis throughout the garden. The smell was sublime and the bright white colour just stunning against the deep green glossy leaves.

There were also small Olea Europaea (Olive) trees in pots dotted around the garden. These were a nod to the history and connection of France with beautiful Olive groves where every village would have a link to the Olive tree.

Simple as this Courtyard garden was I realised quite quickly that behind the surface was a cleverly thought out and planned design. This garden was a work of living art.

The colour palette of the garden was simple but repetitive. It consisted of pink, purple and white flowers with a very small pop of coral in some of the window box planters.

Green foliage was the backdrop but different shapes, shades and textures made the whole scheme work and gave a lovely contrast to the flowering plants.

All the planters and window boxes had been kept to a simple repeated colour and design in a shade of terracotta. This was well thought out because it gave unity and a calm feeling to the Courtyard.

I particularly liked the Lythrum virgatum (Loosestrife) which had been placed in pots to contrast beautifully with the Hydrangeas.

For Paris, where space is at a premium, this was a very unusual garden. I felt blessed to have been able to spend several days, leaving each morning and returning each night to what became my own special sanctuary.

One very successful textural plant was the Fatsia japonica (Paperplant). This gave some degree of cover, being evergreen, between the tree and floor canopy of the garden. It had the most beautiful glossy leaves and is shade tolerant so it thrived in the dappled light of the garden.

Whilst enjoying all the Art that Paris has to offer in it's world famous galleries I realised that when you enter a garden you are stepping into a living and breathing work of art.

Art was everywhere in this garden - the colour, the texture, the tone, the layers all carefully thought out and arranged to maximum effect. The beauty of a garden is that it is in many dimensions, it is ever changing from one season to the next. Most amazing of all is that you can walk around and explore this piece of art which really is very special.

The garden gave me peace and a place to unwind. As I left for the last time through the huge and heavy courtyard gates I knew that yet again I had been touched by a very special garden place.