The kitchen garden of Saint-Jean-de-Beauregard

An excursion to the Saint-Jean de Beauregard estate, some 30 kilometres from **Paris in the heart of the Regional Natural Park of the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse will instantly plunge you back to the 17th century. This superb architectural domain includes a château, stables, a dovecote, a magnificent park and of course, the vegetable garden.

Entirely enclosed and covering two hectares, the garden is representative of French style flowering vegetable gardens. It has also been classified a historic monument and given the official label, “Remarkable Garden.” Saint-Jean de Beauregard is a favourite destination for garden lovers from across the globe, thanks to its spring and fall Fêtes des Plantes festivals.

As the seasons change

Designed after the château was already built, the vegetable garden is shaped in the form of a tetragon divided by two perpendicular paths. Flowers, fruit, and rare vegetables are nestled within the patches of greenery, which are renewed as the seasons change. Each bed contains unusual varieties, like little square-shaped peas, and strawberry spinach. From March to September you can stroll amongst the irises and dahlias, before the autumn fruit starts to hang from the branches.

Near the vegetable patch, take a walk along the orchard full of fruit trees and greenhouses growing grapes. Every year the estate spotlights perennials (early April), and then fall plants (end of September).