I confess. I am not a gardener. But I do love to look.

Likewise I am a sometime cook, more a voyeur of delectable cookbooks and garden books than a get your hands dirty kind of gal. Imagined pleasures without the toil, dirty fingernails and calories.

Thus, I love experiencing gardens, potagers or parks, it matters not to me. My point of view is delighted ignorance. I know virtually no common plant names, let alone the Latin cousins. Its the looking I love, the transcendant pleasure of losing oneself on a path shimmering in beautiful light.

If one is lucky enough to know someone with a lovely private French garden, take the late afternoon leisure of stroll with apero, and count your blessings. If one is passing through with guidebook in hand, be sure to visit three of our notable treasures: Manoir d’Eyrignac, which I believe Michelin now rates as worth a detour, Jardin d’Imaginaire, another wonder with a surprise at every turn, and lastly Jardin Marquessac, whose elegant simplicity gives new meaning to the scent of boxwood, not to mention views to chateaux and castles to die for.

The marvelous thing about all three of these gardens, and this coming from one who possesses a young pup’s enthusiasm mixed with sheer ignorance, is that each is completely unique and splendid in its own in character. Pas the formality one would associate with historical French landscape, yet each making a very strong, compelling impression. Don’t think Louis XIV as that is not what you will find here, although two have historical roots. Each is so imaginative, and so different from the other, that your visual palette is bound to be inspired, even if you are like me, and just like to look.

I’ll take transcendant green magic anytime. Et vous??

(originally written 23 April, 2006)