French gardens are among the most formal. They boast order and clean lines and are designed for grandeur. “French gardens are typically defined as having strong symmetry and order based along a central axis,” says Paul Fields, president and director of design of Lambert Landscape Company. “French parterres—or patterns on the ground of clipped hedges, flowers, and gravel—are a defining feature.” Terraces, statuaries, and water features can also be incorporated—and according to Fields, limestone is a key material: “Limestone elements, such as benches or garden ornaments, along with paving or bed edges, add authenticity.”
To create your own French garden that will thrive in the Dallas area, Fields suggests using these plants:
Dave’s Take
Dave Forehand, vice president of gardens at the Dallas Arboretum, shares his reflections.
Don’t have room for a full French garden? Try a potager (or French kitchen) garden. According to Forehand, it’s a fun way to create a touch of France in your own yard. “In the potager, you mix seasonal annuals with seasonal vegetable plants,” Forehand says. “The beds and the plantings should be very geometric. Sometimes there is a small boxwood hedge enclosing the bed. A Tasteful Place, the food and herb garden at the Arboretum, is a good example of a potager.”
