Parc botanique du Prieure d’Orchaise
This essay is about my friend Denise and her friend Mr. Treuill & his botanical garden.
Denise is a special friend of mine. The last time I met her was 2 years ago in Paris. But we often exchange e-mails to tell news.
The first time I met her was in 2003. She dropped in my office and said to me she wanted to learn Japanese because she would go to Japan to exhibit her paintings that were arranged by the gallery in Tokyo. We chatted over a cup of coffee about various topics as if we had known each other for a long time. Then we discovered that we had lived in Cairo in different time. So we hit it off immediately and since we were getting along.
She learned Japanese and indeed she went to Japan 3 times for her exhibitions.
Denise has a fortune of close friends. She introduced me some of them,
artist, editor, critic, curator and some other…
Among her friends, she told me, Mr. & Mrs. Treuille was special for her. She has known them more than 30 years. They live in Paris but they have a country house as well in Orchaise near Blois (Loir-et -Cher).
One day in May, Denise invited me to visit Mr. Treuille’s country house.
I was very much excited. We got on a train at the station Austerlitz and about 2 hours later we got off at the station Blois. Mr. & Mrs. Treuille picked up us at the station. We exchanged greetings rapidly then they took us to the World Heritage Site, Castle Blois which is a must to visit among the old castles in the area. We spent good one hour then headed to his country house in Orchaise 11km from Blois.
Surprisingly the house was once a monastery with an huge garden that became botanical garden. There was a chapel next to it. Whole view looked like an antique miniature. Although Denise explained in advance how every thing looked like, to see all with my own eyes, it is really impressive and I felt marvelous.
Inside the house a big living area, a dinning room and a kitchen area. I could see some renovation to make more comfortable to live. On the second floor (the first floor in France), there were many rooms which over looked the botanical garden. How wonderful to look out of windows such a beautiful and splendid garden !
Before start walking in the botanical garden, Mrs. Treuille prepared us lunch, soup, salad and vegetable, meat, cheese and dessert. We really enjoyed the meal. I imagined to the extent, the rich food and the tableware gave an illusion of medieval time.
Then Mr. Treuille showed us the garden. We first passed the chapel and then strolling in the garden. There were more than 1600 different kinds of plants
and all together reached more than 3000 plants. We found a pond, well arranged various sizes of flower gardens and several bands of tall tree.
From the all positions the view looked perfectly in unity. Mr. Treuille told us that he himself worked hard in the garden. He planted and made seasonal arrangement as he wished. In such an atmosphere of peace, we were appreciating full of nature around us, sitting on the bench and taking a deep breathe. We were deep in meditation.
Here is URL address.
http:/www.orchaise.eu/histore
The extract in French from the above site:
[Le Parc Botanique du Prieuré d’Orchaise est un parc de 3 ha, surplombant la vallée de la Cisse, et adossé à un clocher roman qui a été édifié dès 1060 par les moines de Marmoutiers. Hubert Treuille, passionné de botanique et grand voyageur, a rassemblé plus de 2000 variétés de plantes venant du monde entier. Son fils Antoine est propriétaire actuel.
Le visiteur et amateur appréciera les assemblages harmonieux de pivoines, magnolias, cornus érables, cerisiers à fleurs et « crab-trees », les bassins de lotus et nénuphars, les innombrables rosiers et buissons rares, sélectionnés pour leur beauté. Floraisons, écorces, parfums, somptueux feuillages d’automne renouvellent de mois en mois un merveilleux spectacle. On pourra de plus y admirer la statue de « La Transparente », oeuvre du sculpteur roumain Christian Breazu. Ce parc a reçu, en 1993, le Premier Prix de la Société Nationale d’Horticulture de France. De fondations très anciennes, les bâtiments actuels du Prieuré sont d’architecture composite, car très endommagés pendant la guerre de Cent Ans; ils ont été reconstruits à la fin du XVè siècle, puis complétés au XIXè siècle dans le style néogothique. Cette demeure fut la propriété entre les deux guerres de Gabriel Hanotaux, célèbre historien, académicien et Ministre des Affaires Etrangères.]
After that visit, I still had some chances to meet Mr.Treuille. He told us many stories about his adventures and experiences and hobbies and etc… He loved nature and he knew all there was to know about nature.
I owe to Denise how much I was happy to have met Mr. Treuille. I always remember that precious day. I wish to visit again the garden. Perhaps next time I visit France… many thanks to Denise !
Link : Exposition at ARCK Gallery / Denise ZAYAN
Link : Le Pont / Comte Hubert TREUILLE “AVENTURE”
