Photo by Hervé Lenain for the Jan/Feb 2025 magazine
Dreaming of a garden that feels like a stroll through Provence or a long lunch in a Parisian courtyard? With a few thoughtful touches, you can easily Frenchify your garden and bring a little joie de vivre right to your backyard.
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Whether you have a sprawling estate or a small city terrace, here are 10 ways to infuse your outdoor space with classic French charm.
1. Embrace a Natural Pathway
French gardens often celebrate the romance of natural materials. Trade in uniform pavers for cobblestones, gravel paths, or weathered limestone terraces. A simple gravel walkway lined with lavender or rosemary instantly conjures the feeling of a Provençal retreat.
2. Cultivate a Lavender Dreamscape
No flower says France quite like lavender. Plant borders or clusters of this hardy, fragrant summer plant for instant visual drama and a soft, soothing scent. The misty purple hues and tantalizing scent will transport you instantly to the rolling lavender hills of Provence.
3. Plan in a Touch of Symmetry
In classic French style, order and elegance go hand-in-hand. Create symmetrical layouts with neatly clipped boxwood hedges (buis in French) and geometric parterres. Even a small symmetrical herb garden in raised beds can lend to that uniform touch.
4. Incorporate Ornamental Ironwork
French gardens love a bit of metal artistry. Install wrought iron gates, vintage trellises, or even a simple café table and chairs. Choose weathered white details or matte black finishes to keep the look authentically ancien and avoid anything too shiny or ornate.
5. Display Grand Garden Vases
No French garden design is complete without a few grand, statement vases. Oversized terracotta urns, aged stone planters, or classical Anduze pots instantly elevate the composition. Position them at the end of a pathway, flank a doorway, or let them punctuate open spaces with sculptural elegance. Fill them with citrus trees, cascading ivy, or flowering geraniums for a look that’s both cultivated and wildly romantic.
6. Grow a Kitchen Garden – the Potager
The French potager (kitchen garden) blends beauty and utility. Organize your vegetables, fruits, and herbs in artful beds edged with low hedges or stone. Heirloom tomatoes, fresh thyme, climbing beans, and citrus fruit trees all work together in lush harmony.
7. Let Nature Be Perfectly Imperfect
While French garden designs often have formal structures, they also celebrate a soft, lived-in beauty. Let ivy climb all over the walls, allow roses to tumble slightly wild over an arbor, and welcome a few self-seeded poppies or violas between the stones.
8. Add a Water Feature
A burbling fountain is the heart of many French gardens. Choose a simple stone or cast-iron fountain — nothing too grandiose. The gentle trickle of water creates a relaxing atmosphere and draws birds and butterflies to your garden.
9. Prioritize Outdoor Living
French gardens are meant to be lived in. Create cozy outdoor rooms with vintage linen cushions, rustic wooden tables, and overhead string lights. Even a small bistro set under a tree can feel like a secluded café spot perfect for morning coffee and a croissant.
10. Scent the Air
Beyond lavender, fragrance plays a major role in French gardens. Plant jasmine, gardenia, climbing roses, and lilacs. Place highly scented plants near sitting areas or windows so their perfume drifts into daily life like a whispered invitation to slow down.
11 (Bonus): Channel the Spirit, Not Just the Look
Ultimately, French garden design is less about perfection and more about mood: a place to savor beauty, share slow meals, and delight in simple pleasures. Don’t be afraid to mix old and new, leave space for nature to surprise you, and celebrate the imperfect poetry of every season.
French gardens are about creating a backdrop for the good life — where every corner feels touched by sunshine, history, and a little bit of magique. No matter which direction you plan to take your outdoor space, it’s the spirit of joie de vivre that truly Frenchifies the garden.