Lessons from Monet's Garden: Timeless Design Inspiration from Giverny

The Impressionist painters of the late 19th century transformed how we perceive the world, and Claude Monet profoundly influenced how we view our gardens. In 1883, Monet settled in Giverny, a village northwest of Paris, where a former cider farm with an orchard became his lifelong passion—both as a painter and a gardener—until his death in 1926.

After his passing, his stepdaughter Blanche tended the house and garden, but both deteriorated after World War II. Generous donors, primarily from the United States, funded a meticulous restoration, allowing us to experience the enduring magic of Monet's vision today.

The most iconic images of the garden appear in Monet's water lily series, set around a pond he created by diverting the Ru River. Yet the gardens at Giverny offer many other lessons, particularly in plant selection and combinations that capture that signature "Monet magic" for our own landscapes.

The Japanese Bridge: A Focal Point Recreated

The Japanese bridge, immortalized in many of Monet's Giverny paintings, was inspired by Japanese woodblock prints that adorned his home. Built by local craftsmen, the original bridge has been reproduced as the centerpiece of The New York Botanical Garden's tribute to Monet. This celebration—including representations of his plantings and two rarely seen paintings—was on display through October 21, 2012.

The Central Alley: Breaking Formal Conventions

Leading from Monet's house, the central alley is re-created in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at The New York Botanical Garden, shining brightest in late summer and autumn. Early 20th-century planting schemes favored overabundant borders confined by boxwood (Buxus spp.). Monet rejected this rigidity, removing all box edging and allowing plants to spill freely onto pathways—a radical departure from contemporary garden design.

A clever, easily adoptable technique he used was banking up soil in beds to make plants appear taller.

Plant Palette: Pastels, Irises, and Personal Taste

While the original garden featured Japanese anemones, asters, and nasturtiums, the re-creation celebrates pastels with spires of delphiniums, verbascums, and lupins surrounded by blowsy peonies. Monet gardened purely for his own taste, eschewing fashion and despising "unnatural" plants like variegated foliage.

Among the exuberant herbaceous blooms, clean-cut Dutch iris (Iris x hollandica, zones 5–9) peek through. Monet passionately mixed plants—from simple wildflowers to rare varieties—to achieve his desired effect. Unlike large rhizomatous bearded iris, Dutch irises are evergreen, clump-forming, easy to grow, and excellent as cut flowers.

Bearded Iris: The Star of Late Spring

Perhaps the garden's star in May and June is the bearded iris (Iris 'Germanica'), zones 3–8. Monet grew them in many colors, but the blues, violets, purples, and whites are most famous. By selecting early and late cultivars, he extended the flowering season, aided by Giverny's alkaline soil.

Bearded irises suit gardens of all sizes. Choosing different cultivars can either prolong bloom or create a concentrated color blast. The season begins with miniature dwarf bearded iris in April and ends with tall bearded iris in late June or early July.

Growing tip: Most irises need well-drained soil in full sun. Divide and replant every two to three years in July or August, discarding poor specimens and keeping the best.

Harmony in Planting: Lessons for Modern Gardens

One of Monet's core principles was creating harmony in plantings. A modern scheme by Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC shows purple salvias blending beautifully with globe-headed alliums.

Closer inspection reveals another Monet-inspired touch: white blooms setting off mauves and purples. This simple technique enlivens monotone plantings and appears at Giverny in both pastel borders and hot-colored late-summer displays.

Adapting the Palette to Different Climates

Monet's lush herbaceous borders can inspire even in dry climates. A Mediterranean design by Aitken and Associates substitutes Pride of Madeira (Echium candicans, zones 9–10) for towering delphiniums, and Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas, zones 6–9) for lower plantings like lupins and nicotiana.

Even in contemporary soft landscapes, Monet's palette shines. Drifts of 'May Night' salvia (Salvia x sylvestris 'May Night', zones 3–9) and 'Walker's Low' catmint (Nepeta x faassenii 'Walker's Low', zones 3–8) create a loose union of linking colors that roam freely—just as Monet liked.

Visit the Gardens

Monet's Giverny garden is open daily from early April through late October. Guided tours are available in English, French, and German. Local accommodations exist, or take a day trip by bus from Paris.

The New York tribute: Exhibition at The New York Botanical Garden through October 21, 2012.

More:
Focus Your Garden Palette
Lay of the Landscape: Natural Garden Style