This works covers the whole of France, from Normandy to the Riviera, from Picardy to the Pyrenees, in an attempt to reveal the full extent and diversity of the modern French country garden. Organized into six themes, the gardens in this book highlight the French garden of today and the influences of history on new designs. Fashionable grandmothers garden combine fruits, herbs, flowers and vegetables; gardens for the five senses focus on sensual stimulation; natural gardens protect local ecosystems; and planetary gardening shows how French gardeners are participating in worldwide exchanges of knowledge and resources. Little by little, the sedate country style has given way to modern conceptions and technical innovation and experimentation.