Jardin Shamrock

Close to Dieppe, in the village of Varengeville-sur-Mer, there is the Shamrock Garden that is home to the French national collection of hydrangeas, renowned throughout the world for the wide range of varieties including some rare ones coming from China and Japan. Through the three themed areas: the Green Dragon Wood, the Celestial Garden and the Paulownias Garden, come and see the 1,500 or so varieties of this impressive collection.

As I was visiting Varengeville-sur-Mer, I drove passed a sign pointing to the Shamrock Garden and its collection. Intrigued, I decided to stop there to see this famous collection. I parked in a small car park adjoining the entrance, opposite a huge field. I definitely enjoyed a change of scene in the heart of this bucolic setting. I entered the garden and I already saw the shimmering colours of the hydrangeas in the distance. I headed towards the green reception building and was given a map. Excellent idea! The garden is divided into 3 parts; what if I started with the Green Dragon Wood? I immediately held my map in the right direction and started my visit …

The Green Dragon Wood is home to forest species coming from Asia. The atmosphere is very peaceful and serene, as evidenced by the small statue of Buddha that seemed to smile at me. The petals of the hydrangeas all have different, rather pastel, colours. The flowers are planted alongside trees that seem to provide them with a green shelter. Arrows showed the way and I gladly followed them. I often stopped to take a closer look at these hydrangeas. I was impressed by the range of colours and their petals. In this part, I mostly saw hydrangeas serrata, which are characterised by their flat shape.

I left the Green Dragon Wood and arrived in a meadow planted with several beds. I wandered around them, trying to remember as many details as possible. No matter where I looked, the sight is magnificent. The flower beds are imposing and seem to be the rulers of the park. In the centre of the Celestial Garden, which by the way deserves its name, there was a majestic blue hydrangea serratophylla. My eye was constantly drawn to this border that, even in such a colourful setting, managed to stand out.

The Paulownias Garden was by far my favourite garden. If the Shamrock Garden is a firework display, this last room is the grand finale. The path I took was quite narrow, the borders seemed taller and more packed. White, blue, pink, purple, it was a true outburst of colours! Surrounded by flowers, I was fascinated by this unique setting. A wonderful smell reached my nose, it was coming from the Buddlejas, also known as Butterfly-bush! The smell was captivating and I walked slowly closer. Butterflies were fluttering happily around it. It was an enchanting moment, I felt as if I was alone in the world in this magical and extraordinary setting. I stayed several minutes observing and admiring this bewitching environment before leaving the garden on cloud nine.