This summer, the magic of Monet’s famous water gardens in Normandy comes to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show from Tuesday 30th June to Sunday 5th July with the press day on Monday 29th June.
Claude Monet’s gardens along the banks of the Seine in Giverny, Normandy are known the world over thanks to the famous paintings they inspired. Today, Monet’s Home and Gardens at the Fondation Monet has become a site of international pilgrimage for garden enthusiasts and art lovers alike.
James Priest, Head Gardener of this horticultural masterpiece has designed a special Normandy Impressionist Garden, inspired by Monet’s beloved gardens. Priest will be joined by Alexandre Thomas of the Agapanthe Gardens to bring a piece of Normandy to Hampton Court.
Monet spent over forty years at Giverny, during which he painted hundreds of garden scenes that depicted the Japanese bridge, the lily ponds and the brightly coloured floral alleys but also of the agapanthus flower. Along with the key elements of the world famous water gardens, the Normandy Impressionist Garden will recreate these lesser known works of Monet, bringing the agapanthus to the fore.
The Designer: James Priest, Head Gardener at the Fondation Monet
Lancashire born James Priest studied at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew before moving to France in 1985. After seventeen years working on the Baron Elie de Rothschild’s estate in Royaumont, Priest was appointed Head Gardener at the Fondation Monet in Giverny in 2011. Following in the footsteps of the father of Impressionism, Priest keeps alive the original spirit of this horticultural masterpiece that is now a site of international pilgrimage for garden enthusiasts and art lovers alike.
The Landscaper: Alexandre Thomas, Agapanthe Gardens
Normandy native, Alexandre Thomas is the creator of the Agapanthe Gardens – a landmark garden that he began working on at the age of ten at his parent’s estate. Over time, these gardens have grown in size and opened to the public and welcome the visitor to a perfectly tamed jungle of light and colour, peace and tranquility.
For more information please visit:
www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-hampton-court-palace-flower-show
To request an invitation to the press event on Monday 29th June, please contact:
Maggie McNulty
UK and Ireland Senior Press Officer for the Normandy Tourist Board
franceuncovered.com 