Les Jardins d'Etretat

Perched on a cliff, high above Etretat, a charming town in Normandy, Les Jardins d'Etretat offer a breathtaking vista on the Alabaster coast and the nearby stone arch, La Porte d'Aval. The original garden was created in the early part of the 20th century by a French actress, Madame Thebault. She had fallen in love with the area after discovering Claude Monet's paintings of the region and decided to surround the charming villa with a garden where she could grow her vast collection of orchids. In 2017, landscape architect Alexandre Grivko took on the challenge of redesigning the 3.5 acres of this hilly location. Influenced by the classical French gardens designed by Le Notre, he has conceived 7 distinct outdoor rooms filled with striking topiary inspired by the natural beauty of the region and providing a green backdrop to the contemporary art exhibited. In the 'Jardin Emotions', box has been sculpted to represent seashell shapes whilst Samuel Salcedo's expressive resin faces, titled 'Drops of Rain', can be found dotted here and there. Various evergreen shrubs have been planted, in particular Phillyrea angustifolia, clipped t0 create waves in 'Jardin Impressions'. The 10 metre long table and benches sitting in the centre of the 'Jardin d'Aval' have been built by Thomas Rosler and are surrounded by tall yew arches, a nod to the local landmark.