Photo by © Eric Sander featured in the November/December 26 Issue
Welcome to our monthly series: MFCH Staff Favorites!
Every month, the members of the My French Country Home team will share a recommendation for their favorite thing in France right now.
Every garden in France has its own rhythm. Gravel walkways, sculpted hedges, bursts of seasonal color, and carefully framed views all come together in spaces that are both meticulously designed and ever-changing by nature. Some unfold with grandeur and symmetry, while others feel more secretive, meant for meditative wandering and unhurried afternoons.
In this collection of MFCH Staff Favorites, the team shares the gardens that have particularly stuck with them — places tied to memories, seasons, and meaningful visits. From the cliffs of the French Riviera and spectacular secrets around Paris to the sculptural gardens of the Dordogne and the magnificent landscapes of Normandy, each one offers a distinct atmosphere, yet all invite the same simple pleasure: to pause, explore, and take it all in.
Read on for a virtual journey to all of our favorite gardens in France.
Jardin de Marqueyssac, Dordogne and Le Château du Champ de Bataille, Normandy
Recommended by Sharon, MFCH Founder & Editor-in-Chief
I’m lucky to have visited exceptional gardens all over France, often in the company of the owners and creators. I believe that the region of France most rich in exceptional gardens is the Dordogne, where Marqueyssac is certainly the most spectacular with its endless clipped box and breathtaking views and the most charming is the Chartreuse du Colombier.
However, I’m also fortunate to live in Normandy, where besides the famous gardens of Claude Monet, there is also the fantastic property of Jacques Garcia, le Château du Champ de Bataille.
See inside le Château du Champ de Bataille in the March/April 2026 Issue
This is the largest landscaped garden in Europe, and — although not cozy, or cottage garden style — is absolutely worth the detour. The perspective leading from the château to the manmade hill complete with wide waterway; the fantastic greenhouses filled with century-old tree ferns and orchids; the Roman columns, Greek temple and Indian maharaja’s palace make this a truly unique destination, which is worth visiting in all seasons.
Visit Château du Champ de Bataille
Les Jardins des Martels, Tarn
Recommended by Nicola, MFCH Magazine Writer & Editor
It has been a few years since I visited Les Jardins des Martels in the Tarn on the way to a friend’s wedding, but the memory still lingers. Just 30 km (19 miles) north of Toulouse it is a vast, English-style garden with a distinctly Eastern inspiration that reminds me of my travels in Asia.
A canal winds through the center of the park, lined with multicolored flowerbeds, and in summer, the air is thick with floral perfume and the gentle croaking of invisible frogs. A boardwalk surrounds a pond filled with giant lotus plants with luminous pink and white blossoms – and leaves so immense that I could imagine climbing aboard and paddling on them. The path eventually leads to a lush green lawn, where visitors are encouraged to slip off their shoes (unusual for France!) and let their toes sink into the fresh green carpet. From there, it’s a short walk to a charming hedge maze and beyond that, a small menagerie of deer, goats, and sheep, adds a gentle charm.
This is an experience so immersive that it’s easy to lose track of time. Definitely worth a detour if you are in the area, and easily combined with a visit to the medieval hilltop village of Cordes-sur-Ciel.
Jardins d’Eyrignac, Dordogne
Recommended by Alizée, MFCH Travel and Tour Manager
I’ve been to the gardens of Eyrignac quite a few times over the years, and it’s one of those places that never changes, in the best possible way. Every time I go back, it feels just as perfectly kept, just as calm, just as beautiful.
What I love most about Eyrignac is the topiary. The precision of it, the different shapes, the endless shades of green… it’s one of the most elegant gardens I’ve seen in France, everything is so carefully maintained. The house itself is also stunning, and it fits so naturally into the landscape.
One of my favorite memories there was visiting with the owner during one of our MFCH tours. It completely changed the way I saw the garden; understanding the history, the work behind it, and the passion that keeps it looking the way it does.
We’re planning to return again next year on our MFCH Dordogne tour, and I already know it will be one of those visits I look forward to the most! If you love gardens, especially topiary and classic French landscaping, Eyrignac is truly a special place to experience.
Roseraie de L’Haÿ, Val-de-Marne
Recommended by Sarah, MFCH Subscription Box & Boutique Manager
One of my favorite gardens in France is the Roseraie de L’Haÿ in Val-de-Marne, just outside of Paris. It’s surprisingly easy to reach from the city — take the RER B to Bourg-la-Reine and then a short bus ride, and suddenly you’re surrounded by thousands of roses.
Created in 1894 by rose experts Edouard André & Jules Gravereaux, the garden is home to thousands of rose varieties arranged along romantic pathways and pergolas. The best time to visit is late May through June, when the roses are in full bloom, and the entire garden is filled with color and fragrance. It’s the perfect little spring escape from Paris.
Jardin Exotique d’Èze
Recommended by Olivia, MFCH Brand Strategist, Writer, & Editor
Perched on the dramatic cliffs of the mountaintop village of Èze, this tropical botanic wonderland overlooks the sparkling Mediterranean on the French Riviera. The Jardin Exotique unfolds as a winding maze of colorful blooms, whimsical sculptures, and sprawling cacti that appear as though they have been plucked from the pages of a storybook.
I first visited with my parents a few years ago in April, when the garden was bursting with shades of green — vibrant and lush after a rainstorm that had just rolled in from the sea. I went back again with a friend in late September, and the garden proved just as vivid at summer’s end.
If you’re planning a trip to the Côte d’Azur, be sure to stop in Èze and follow its spiraling cobblestone streets up to the Jardin Exotique.
Visit the Jardin Exotique d’Èze
Jardin des Plantes, Paris
Recommended by Jessy, MFCH Customer Service Coordinator
Jardin des Plantes is a quintessential stop in Paris on any day — but most delightful when the sun is shining. When the clouds clear, tulips and poppies peek out from the soil. Statues are positioned among the roses, and onlookers take a moment of reprieve from the busy city beyond.
Jardin des Plantes is organized specifically for the pleasure of experiencing the seasonal blooms, which I enjoy taking pictures of for color inspiration. The grass is lush, and seating is offered along the shady walking paths. Off the central garden, there are remnants of some of Paris’s historic grape vines — once major contributors to the Parisian economy — and not far from those is the garden zoo, which will soon welcome orangutans! If the Parisian weather turns its famous grey, the Victorian greenhouses are a must see any time of the year.
Visit Jardin des Plantes in Paris
Jardin des Plantes de Montpellier
Recommended by Maddy, MFCH Magazine Writer & Editor
My favorite garden has to be the Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier, which I discovered while I was a student there a decade ago. France’s oldest botanical garden, it was created in 1593 by Pierre Richer de Belleval, a young doctor, and was first filled with medicinal plants. After many centuries of deterioration and restoration, in 2022 it was titled a Jardin Remarquable, and now boasts over 2600 species, organized in a serious of themed gardens, and within greenhouses and an orangery.
Though quite small, it is an especially serene place. Sunken from the main road and surrounded by high stone walls, it offers immediate peace, even in the heart of the city. Today it is run by the University of Montpellier, and as you stroll through rose bushes, past the lotus ponds and through the bamboo groves, you’ll notice people quietly enjoying every space: couples on benches reading, students studying in the shade, families on the grass relaxing under the sun….
Sit for a minute and take part in the ritual yourself, absorbing the surrounding beauty and sense of community that these gardens strictly defend.
Visit Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier
Read next: The 5 Most Beautiful Gardens of the French Riviera