Claude Monet’s passion for plants pushed the boundaries of his art; the most famous of the Impressionists’ gardens is living proof of his painterly plantsmanship.

Cruise passengers can enjoy the spirit of Monet’s earthly canvas during tours to the garden – at Giverny in Normandy – that is now overseen by English head gardener James Priest.

An art-lover himself, James uses softer shades around the pink-washed house while rectangular beds run down from the property.

It is here that James tries ‘to get closer to Monet’, co-ordinating colours the artist loved: balancing the pinks and yellows, oranges and reds to harness the morning sunlight and catch the evening glow – just as the Impressionists’ guiding principle was to capture the light. Roses scramble over the iron arches of the Central Allée, above a tide of nasturtiums and rows of purple dahlias.

James, 58, has lived and worked in France since leaving Kew Gardens in 1986, including 17 years for the Rothschild family in Chantilly. He said: “I am more French than English but understanding Monet and what he did here is a puzzle, like solving a crime.

“I draw the garden on paper, knowing he only used harmonious colours, and try planting. We do not have a complete archive. What we do know is that for periods of time he was not painting but he never stopped gardening.

“We also have to please the 600,000 visitors who expect colour from April to the end of October – so sometimes we add a little licence, but only ever planting along the lines of what we know Monet would have done.”

Francophile James refuses to take credit for this kaleidoscopic garden but concedes the roses scrambling over the iron arches of the Central Allée are “looking better than they have done for 20 years”.
He said: “The roses were poor but by careful pruning they have come back to look beautiful.”

Reviving the garden could not be rushed and James says he has tried not to do too much too fast. For the first year he “just observed”, knowing that if the planting looked wrong in spring it may look totally different in autumn.

He said: “When I arrived, I knew the garden and that it was like no other.

“I also knew that in the1960s-70s it had been neglected. The Giverny Foundation called on the retired curator of the Palace of Versailles, Gérald Van der Kemp, to revive the garden.

“He put all of his energies into an academic restoration and it reopened in 1980, honouring Van der Kemp’s plan to stay as true as possible to how the garden was in Monet’s times.

“Van der Kemp closed the Central Allee so visitors can now see it as Monet would have done when he was painting.

“I always remember the history of the garden and try to enter Monet’s spirit and interpret his voice. He designed the garden in the way he might have designed a canvas, using colour to create structure and movement.”

The 2.5-acre Clos Normand garden in front of the house is in contrast to the Japanese-inspired water garden – the lily pond is a mirror for the sky from which it seems wisteria and weeping willow tumble. It is here that James chooses to relax after long, busy days.

James said: “On warm evenings, when the visitors have gone, the water garden becomes a place of serenity where I stand on the bridge to relax and reflect. It is a magical, romantic place.

“I have a lovely job.”

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