The château d'Ainay le Vieil was one of the highlights of the trip to Berry organized by the Amateurs de jardins association.
Every year, the lucky members of theAmateurs de jardins association, chaired by Cyril Wolkonsky, are invited to take part in a voyage of discovery of wonderful gardens.
While last year they went to Japan, this year their destination was less remote but just as exciting.
Over the course of four days, they discovered the treasures of the Berry region: Orsan Priory, Apremont Floral Park, Menetou-Salon, Pesselière, Marie's garden... and, of course, the remarkable château and gardens of Ainay le Vieil.
Marie Sol de La Tour d'Auvergne, surrounded by her daughter and son-in-law, Arielle and Hervé Borne, owners of the château, welcomed these garden lovers on Saturday May 11th, with a splendid program in store.
Visit the château, the grand salon with its monumental fireplace created in honor of the visit of Louis XII and Anne de Bretagne, the chapel with its coffered ceiling, the billiard room with its paintings by Lalauze, the Colbert salon and the king's bedroom.
After an excellent lunch concocted by the chef of the Etoile d'Urcay restaurant, Marie Sol de La Tour d'Auvergne opened the doors to the gardens she created some thirty years ago, with their chartreuse trees and rose garden...
A wonderful day that shows just how many garden lovers there are, and just how rich France's heritage is.