Located in the Loir valley, in a small glen abutting a limestone hillock, the Jardin du Plessis Sasnières offers an invitation to stroll; feel free to discover all the charms of the most English of French gardens.
A 27-acre English-style garden is suffused with a sweet and peaceful atmosphere in which plants are staged with refinement. Situated on a plateau overlooking the valley, the park fans out along a central alley lined with magnolia trees and their fragrant flowers. Down in the valley, astride the pond, a garden has been set up; it is the brainchild of Rosamée Henrion, a botany aficionado. In 1960, the house she inherited had fallen into disuse for close to fifty years. At a time when the buildings were sorely in need of restoration, as a first step the gardens required cleaning. Mme Henrion dreamed that in Plessis-Sasnières, there might exist an English-style garden similar to those she had observed during her travels.
The geography of the site allowed her to bring into being a genuine paradise taking harmonious advantage of the slopes of the land, the running water facilities and the existing buildings. Arranged in a regular pattern, “L’Enclos Fleuri” is replete with perennials, rose trees and shrubs flowering from spring through autumn.
Each edging is organized by color theme: yellow and white, pink and blue, dark shades… Hedges and topiaries give rhythm and order to the garden space. The “Jardin Remarquable” label constitutes a well-earned recompense for the unusual talent and fruitful labors of Rosamée Henrion and her team.
Wishing to take full advantage of the ambient peace and quiet, you may let yourself be tempted by the delicious ice cream and homemade pastries of the tea salon, not to mention the Le Plessis restaurant, situated in the heart of the garden. Created and managed by Guillaume Henrion, it offers traditional cooking based on French meats and locally produced seasonal vegetables. The cellar showcases Loire wines including local vintages: coteaux du Vendômois, coteaux du Loir (Vendôme region and Loire valley hillsides).
Throughout the year, special events enliven the Jardin du Plessis Sasnières: during spring, a plant market; come autumn, the soup festival!
