We Can Dream: Lush Life on a Historic Normandy Estate

The Montperthuis estate in France’s Normandy region had a 15th-century manor and an 18th-century house — but no gardens. Its new owners, a young couple, asked Philippe Dubreuil to design landscaping that worked with the architecture of the buildings, which also include a barn, a tower and stables. “They had just bought, and only fields were surrounding the different constructions,” Dubreuil says. “The goal was to come up with beautiful outdoor areas giving the impression they had been there forever.” The architect and landscape designer immersed himself in the history of the location and region, and created a garden plan that incorporated elements of centuries-old feudal estates. The Montperthuis gardens include a vegetable garden, an orchard, a “secret” hydrangea garden, a greenhouse, fountains, stone walls and contemporary sculptures.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple, civil-law attorneys, who love animals, nature and contemporary art
Location: Perche area in the Normandy region of France
Size: About 10 acres
That’s interesting: It’s a very old estate; the little house dates to the 18th century, and the manor to the 15th.


Dubreuil created a little terrace in front of the house (left) where his clients could have their meals. The seating area is near a garden where he was able to plant cold-sensitive flowers, thanks to its location next to the south-facing house.


In the flower garden are white irises, and to their right, black irises.

Black irises: Les Senteurs du Quercy


A white Eremurus, or foxtail lily, from South America blooms in the garden.


‘Bobbie James’ roses, giant ramblers with fragrant white blooms, climb the wall of the barn. “I channeled it to maintain the architecture of the barn,” Dubreuil says. The gravel paths allow for good circulation around the property and easy access to the barn.

“We elevated the area in order to maximize the practicality of this terrace during cocktails,” the designer says. “Indeed, this estate was rehabilitated as a place to share moments and experiences. It is regularly open to the public. The owners did not want to live behind their high walls.”


Garden gazebos near the stables are fitted with benches where one can relax with a book or converse. “It is a location full of exquisite fragrances, thanks to old scented rosebushes,” including ‘Pink Cloud’ and ‘Sombreuil’ climbers, and clematis, Dubreuil says. “The inspiration comes from medieval gardens, where one could court or be courted.”


A gate opens onto the vegetable garden, which is also planted with flowers such as mauve Nepeta to attract bees to the estate’s beehives. A round water feature in the center has a gully that feeds water to other pools on the estate.


The vegetable garden can be accessed from the orchard (foreground), the front yard and the hydrangea garden. To build the stone walls, Dubreuil gathered old stones from the site and from an old barn the clients bought.


For one of the entries to the vegetable garden, Dubreuil designed a large iron gate that was crafted by a metal artist.


The vegetable garden covers 6,500 square feet. It includes pumpkins, artichokes, tomatoes, potatoes, traditional vegetables, nasturtium flowers, zucchini, salad greens, cabbage and black radish.


The vegetable garden can be seen from the hydrangea garden through an oeil-de-boeuf, or round window, trimmed into the hedge. To protect the estate from the wind, Dubreuil planted hedges of local species, such as hazel, hawthorne, viburnum, dogwood, rosehips and hornbeam. The hedges surround the estate and run for 3,200 feet.


“The hydrangea garden is a green haven,” the designer says. A stainless steel sculpture by Stevens Dossou-Yovo sits in this quiet area, which functions almost as a secret garden. The homeowners chose the sculpture, and Dubreuil chose the location.


Plantings include scented white rhododendron, ‘Tardiva’ hydrangea, Hydrangea serrata and apple trees.


This oeil-de-boeuf, added to a stone wall, offers a different view of the hydrangea garden.


“The tower is ancestral, but the coating and the roofing were rehabilitated,” says Dubreuil.


A majestic bronze statue by Jonathan Simony sits near other ponds on the estate.


Dubreuil designed the greenhouse, the stone wall and the fountain, as well as the two ponds.



Here is a view of the gully leading to the ponds.


A local contractor built the greenhouse.


The idea was to create different green “rooms” and link them with views and perspectives. This view opens to the vegetable garden and the greenhouse, home to banana and citrus trees, among other plantings.


A panoramic view of the estate. On the right are the stables, where the owners keep horses. On the left, the house stands next to the barn.


In this panoramic view, you can see the 15th-century manor and its tall chimney.

URL: We Can Dream: Lush Life on a Historic Normandy Estate http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-25469.html