Monet’s Gardens, Giverny, France

A Delightful Spring Stroll Through a Kaleidoscope of Colors

Variegated tulip bed, Monet’s Gardens, Giverny, France

A Photo Essay by John Penisten

For garden and flower fans, one of the more enjoyable experiences available while on a spring trip to Paris, France, is a visit to the home and iconic floral gardens of famed artist Claude Monet (1840–1926).

Claude Monet’s home in Giverny

Cherry blossoms, Monet’s Gardens

The day excursion to the small town of Giverny just outside of Paris provides a relaxed and leisurely getaway from the city’s hustle and bustle.

Impressionist Painter

Mixed floral beds fill Monet’s Gardens

Claude Monet was one of the foremost Impressionist artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was born in France and lived most of his life in Giverny where he developed the varied and colorful floral gardens.

Pink tulips

Monet developed the gardens to serve as an inspiration for his paintings. His life’s work is among the most notable examples of the early art Impressionism movement.

Tulip closeup

Monet’s Gardens as a Popular Attraction

Violets

His home and famous flower gardens are popular visitor attractions. An early spring visit to the gardens in April revealed the marvelous variety of spring florals ranging from plants, shrubs, and trees of many types.

Vivid colors erupt throughout the gardens

Even non-gardeners will appreciate the beauty and wonder of Nature’s colorful floral abundance.

Seasonal Varieties

Delicate blossoms emerge through the seasons

The grounds are divided into a general floral garden and a Japanese-style water garden.

Iris

The floral plantings and blooms vary by season from spring through the summer and into autumn.

White poppy

Monet’s Home and Museum

Monet’s gardens overflow with florals of all types

The Monet home is a museum of his life and work, and the gardens are open for visitors to stroll and admire from April through November each year.

Visitors revel in the floral beauty and variety of Monet’s gardens

Getting There: Excursions and More

Wisteria blossoms

For complete details on Monet’s home and gardens, entry fees, plus lodging and transportation to Giverny and half or full day excursions from Paris by train, bus or van, consult the website; there are options for overnight stays in Giverny or other nearby towns.

See the website: Claude Monet’s garden at Giverny

Wisteria climbs a stairwell, Giverny

Monet’s gravestone marker in the gardens

About the Writer

John Penisten is a photojournalist and longtime resident of Hilo, Hawai’i. He has authored the guidebooks Hawai’i the Big Island, Kaua’i the Garden Island, Adventure Guide to Hawai’i, and Experience the Big Island: The Road to Adventure. His personal adventure book Green Hills and Blue Lagoons: A Peace Corps Memoir covers his travels and experiences as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in the Fiji Islands, South Pacific. His travel stories and photos have appeared in a variety of print and online publications.