Life in Normandy, bursting with activity!

Working like mad to get everything done!
Preparing the construction of the barn. Plants arriving for the various projects. And taking care of the horses! But we love it!

Buis de France.com 'Slowly working to perfection'

Just spend 2 days pruning Box plants. Buis de France.com has a large collection of different sizes, and shapes. Those fields with all those different buis, which are pruned once a year to structure their forms, and slowly they reach their perfect form!
It's fascinating as one becomes a sculpture and at the same time this deep respect for the beauty of the Buis. Some of them are more than 4o years. By pruning them annually they have become very sturdy and full of energy. The proof is that this summer's high temperatures and drought didn't affect them very much.
www.buisdefrance.com

How to braid living willow branches

By braiding living willow branches, one can create the most amazing structures in a garden or wherever one likes.  And as it continues to grow you can keep on twisting them in a shape the you like.
One of Pierre's great specialities

The beauty and quality of buis/box-trees.

 

Just received a number of big pruned box-trees, average age 40 years. Amazing how well they travel. And the moment you put them together, even without planting them, they are stunning. The quality is amazing as they have been pruned every years which makes them dense and sturdy. Very rare and nothing to do with the box-trees one finds in general.
www.buisdefrance.com

How to use buis in a romantic garden.

When using buis in a romantic garden the aim is to give it structure, as always, without being to formal and constraining. It should fit in naturally and the forms of the buis should be accordingly.

How dramatic a change can be!

10 months ago the place looked and was a parking lot!  Look at the difference! There is no comparison!

A green oasis has been created and highly appreciated!
www.buisdefrance.com

Garden Benches by Pierre Joyaux

To finish a garden Pierre adds one of his specialties, garden benches!

He builds them in now time and they become an important feature of the place.

Sizes vary depending on the location!

Great Process made at the Stud farm in Normandy

Great Process made at the Stud farm in Normandy

The vegetal structure at the farm has been put in place. Paddocks have been protected. Borders have been created, cars can no longer been parked against the stables. Shadow has been created for the horses. Trees have been planted to break the wind.

The entry has become functional and practical to receive clients with their mares.

The planting season is over and now it’s just waiting for the leaves to come out to make it really green and make a real impact!

In the meantime all the bulbs are coming out rapidly which makes already a big difference!

The deal of this mission was to create comfort for horses and staff and to organise the routing at this busy place and the same time to make a connection with the surrounding landscape.

www.buisdefrance.com

www.pierrejoyaux.com

The vegetale structuring of an intensive working place in the countryside.

From a very private garden to an ‘intensive working place’ in the country site, a stud farm in Normandy. Recently Pierre has been working at Stud farm in Normandy. The place is expanding rapidly and it’s an ongoing building site. As the previous owner cut all the trees, as he had plans to build a landing strip of small planes. This was never executed but the trees are gone. Nothing around the house nor at the stable yards.

It’s vital to reintroduce a vegetal structure, to give the place comfort and well being apart from the aesthetic point of view. It’s the only way to create comfort for horses as well as the people working and living there! 

The challenge for Pierre is to imagine a very quite atmosphere for the horses and people to live and work on a daily basis.

The structure is created by planting lines and squares of  trees from the same variety. While on the ground creating a low level by planting lines of box plants and create corners with Round box plants. The inside of this structure is filled with flowering plants starting with the bulbs for early spring, when the mounting season for the horses start and 500 mares come and visit to be covered by the sires.

Another important season is autumn when the foals are separated from the mares and the young horses start their training.

In the middle of this newly created structure Pierre has planted a mixed border in grey – blue and white with a preference off scented plants to have waves of perfume passing.

To quote Pierre: ‘I cannot forget I am in Normandy with of course the influence of the tradition of big English gardens’.

Some place for lunch and break are organised with a pergola of chestnuts beams, to be covered by climbing plants. Like oblong, climbing roses, jasmine.

Parking lots are well defined to create order in this domain.

Things are still in an early stage but the structure is there and it’s already immensely appreciated.

www.pierrejoyaux.com

www.buisdefrance.com

The versatility of Box plants (buis)

Lately Pierre has been working on various linked gardens. The gardens are all separate, which make them very private and secret. In the centre of an old town in Burgundy those old gardens have been transferred in several 'jardin de buis', all very different.

It's an example of the versatility of box plants. The first garden is a 'jardin des fêtes' to receive friends, the second garden is a quinconce, monastic, sober with a strong rhythm. And finally the 3rd garden is a labyrinth with scented roses and climbing plant with fruit trees organised in a structure of box plants. The last one is very private, a real secret garden. The last one has just been planted and the end result will follow shortly! www.buisdefrance.com

project in Chantilly

A new field, organising the working area of a racing stable. 60 horse boxes on 1 hectare. A lot of reorganising has been done, in the sense installing small paddocks, a horse marcher, a special ring for young horses, a horse sauna and spa!
Pierre added the plantation, the trimming of the hedges in shape, creating a rythme. By chosing Gleditsia Inermis trees in front of the boxes, one creates a very playfull shade. This keeps it light and elegant. In front of the central building he created 6 columns with fragrance plants which will be nice in summer. All in all it will become a very elegant environment, which is nice as the prinicipal trainer is a lady!