How to Create a French Country Garden
Can you create a French country garden where you live?? In most parts of the United States, the answer is: yes. I live in the Pacific Northwest, & while a full-on French garden isn’t possible for me, I’ve definitely drawn inspiration from French country style & symmetry. If you’ve ever been to the castle-filled Loire Valley, then you’ve seen some of the country’s most spectacular, formal gardens. And while they’re certainly beautiful: it’s in fact the more informal French gardens I feel have the most charm…which is good news for us avid & aspiring gardeners! Here, we’ll learn how to create a beautiful French country garden, no matter your budget or where you live!
This is a perfect example of a more relaxed, French country outdoor dining area: the pea gravel & central water feature are two crucial elements of French style ~ & neither need to cost a fortune. I’ll give you many ideas below…
Hallmarks of French Country Garden-Style
- The use of pea gravel, stones, stepping stones, cobble-stones, a rustic stone wall ~ basically, any kind of stones you can think of. The more weathered & worn-in, the better.
- Informal, or formal, dining areas set amidst the garden, surrounded by profusions of flowers.
- French gardens intersect with English cottage gardens in that they both make ample use of arbors: for both drama, & to add height & interest to the garden landscape. I purchased this beautiful, French-inspired black arbor from Amazon ~ & I love the height it adds to my landscape. Use climbing roses or vines to climb up over & soften it…
- French gardens love symmetry, geometry, & shapes: often times, they’ll use boxwood hedges or rows of trees to create these shapes. I’ve done this in my own garden, using rows of Emerald Green Arborvitae to create a privacy hedge that has a more formal look.
- Water features! You’ll be hard-pressed to find a French garden that doesn’t make use of at least one water feature, whether it’s a simple bird bath, a multi-tiered fountain, or small pond.
- Words that capture French country style: refined, elegant, rustic, symmetrical, geometric, lightly distressed, charming, weathered, worn-in, muted & soft colors, effortless.
- Two of the most popular & “signature” French country flowers are hydrangeas & of course, French Lavender.
Photos of French Country Gardens…
The main idea of this article is to gather inspiration ~ & the best way to do that is to view photos of beautiful French country gardens. Just remember: yours does NOT need to be super formal…like a mini-Versailles! You can simply use elements of French country style in small ways, like adding a fountain as a focal point, or a simple bird bath. Adding pea gravel & natural stone is also a great way to add a French country touches to your garden….
There are many elements of French style in this home: old stone walls, French doors, a quaint outdoor seating area, containers used close to the home for a cozy feel, with larger trees further away for privacy & beauty.
This is a lovely example of a relaxed outdoor patio in the French country style. Especially note the color of the shutters: which are a near-perfect Provence Blue. Photo by Veranda.
The most famous French garden is at Versailles, which is definitely on the formal end. BUT: there are elements you can copy here: play with geometry & shapes. Use trees to form hedges & draw the eye towards one, central feature ~ like a pond. Photo courtesy of Paris Insiders Guide.
French style can also be very simple: the stand-out here is the gorgeous golden tone of the stone wall & the simple, rustic table set. Photo by The Spruce.
When I think of French country gardens, I picture something more like this: a beautiful stone building covered with trailing vines, an informal seating area surrounded by flowers, & an irregular, cobblestone walkway. Rustic perfection like this can be found all around Provence. Photo courtesy of Cottage Garden.
If I could create this exact scene in my garden ~ OH MY would I ever! If you have a beautiful shaded area that’s protected from the wind: it’s possible to create a delicious scene like this… (Note the mismatched chairs & distressed table: French country does NOT = perfect!)
There’s no quicker way to add French country feel to your yard than by adding a chandelier ~ hang it from your covered patio, or if you have a She Shed, hang it in there! It doesn’t have to work: simply hanging it will give you that rustic feel.
A charming entrance like this is signature of a more cottage garden feel. Photo courtesy of The Cottage Journal.
The abundance of flowers here brings in an English cottage feel surrounding this She Shed. Photo by French Country Cottage.
Don’t simply place a fountain in your yard randomly! French style tells us to bring DRAMA to that fountain: create a path that leads up to it, surround the fountain with either stones or flowers ~ or BOTH, to really create a statement.
Buy a beautiful, multi-tiered fountain ~ then surround it with pea gravel & larger rocks in the shape of a circle to truly make a statement. Lead a pathway up to it, or line trees & shrubs along a path towards it…
Hidden “rooms” are not only a French thing ~ but many English gardens use the same idea. The idea is to create different areas within the garden: these could be sitting areas, a hidden area with a fire pit, etc. Photo courtesy of Holly Lepere Studios.
This garden has a slightly more formal feel with fewer flowers, but both the wrought-iron furniture & series of large urns are quintessential French style.
Perfect French country style with a muted palette. Aged urns create repetition with boxwood, while wisteria climbs up the trellis. Photo by Veranda.
The “Shabby Chic” style, created by Rachel Ashwell, is a cousin of French style ~ with its subtle color palette, distressed & weathered-looking furniture, & an overall tranquil feel.
Other Beautiful French Gardens…
If you type “famous French gardens” into Google, two castles in the Loire Valley will likely pop up: Chateaux Villandry & Chenonceau. Though both are formal (& massive), you can certainly take inspiration from each, incorporating small elements into your own garden.
Chateau Villandry is one of France’s most famous gardens. Here, you can see several elements of French style: pea gravel pathways, symmetrical garden planning using distinct shapes (both square & rectangular), & grand, wide paths that lead up to the Chateau.
The gardens at Chenonceau were my absolute favorite, & I found, more charming than Villandry’s ~ with the decorative use of ornamental grasses, hearty shrubs, & trees shaped into globes punctuating the edges of the lawn.
Finally, in the far South of France, you’ll find rows upon rows of one of the most famous French flowers of all: lavender.
Learn when you can see the spectacular South of France lavender fields in the height of full bloom, here…
How to Create a French Country Garden
If you’re itching to add a water feature to your yard, check out this bird bath I found on Amazon; I have three & LOVE them. Or find a corner of your yard where you can add a cozy daybed….because taking a little nap is very French indeed.
xoxo Noelia
Read Next: How to Create a French Country Home
Fantastic article. We purchased the fountain and turquoise bird bath recommended and both have added such a feeling of tranquility to our garden. Many Thanks!
Hi Eloise, so glad to hear that! I think the three-tiered fountain is also one of the best purchases I’ve made for my garden; the birds love it & the sound is so relaxing! (Plus it drowns out the voice of my neighbors!!) xoxo Noelia
Love this post! I have a French Country garden with many of the elements listed. However, with our short growing season and only planting Zone 3, some ‘substitute’ plants have to take the place of those often iconic French ones. Example: Russian sage and salvia are substitutes for lavender. This year, it already being early April and still about 3 feet of snow on the ground, I’ll be happy if I can find my garden/courtyard area soon! 😉
Hi CK! I totally agree with you ~ Russian Sage is SUCH a good substitute for lavender (which has a really short growing season in my zone), & it fools everyone into thinking it’s lavender! Zone 3 must be pretty tough with such a short growing season, & this winter in particular has been so long for everyone. What I love about the French garden style is that so many elements (i.e. pea gravel, fountains, evergreens, etc.) look good all year, which helps getting through the winter a bit. Good luck this year! xoxo