Les Journées du Potager de Villandry

The Villandry Kitchen Garden, a Vegetal Work of Art

The decorative kitchen garden of the Château de Villandry is unique in the world: composed of nine geometric squares planted with vegetables and flowers according to a plan renewed twice a year, it combines the aesthetics of French gardens with the kitchen garden tradition. Each September, the Journées du Potager celebrate this living heritage during an exceptional weekend, at one of the most beautiful times of the year to visit it.

A Market in the Heart of the Kitchen Garden

About twenty exhibitors set up in the very heart of the decorative kitchen garden to offer their products and creations. Local producers, nurserymen, artisans, and creators present products from the Touraine region, plants, seeds, gardening tools, and decorative items. The exceptional location, amidst the vegetable and flower beds, gives this market a unique atmosphere.

Meet the Gardeners of Villandry

The Journées du Potager are a prime opportunity to meet the gardeners of Villandry, true guardians of exceptional horticultural know-how. During exclusive guided tours, they share their expertise on cultivation techniques, variety selection, planting rotation, and the maintenance secrets of this monumental kitchen garden. Visitors discover the behind-the-scenes of a garden that requires thousands of plants to be renewed each season.

Workshops and Activities for All

Floral art workshops allow visitors to learn about floral composition using flowers and foliage from the kitchen garden. Children enjoy fun and creative activities specially designed for them, combining nature discovery and manual activities. These workshops are included in the garden entrance fee.

September, the Ideal Month for Villandry

The month of September is considered one of the most beautiful for visiting the gardens of Villandry. The kitchen garden is then at its peak, with the last summer harvests and the first autumn plantings creating an extraordinary patchwork of colors and textures. Gourds, ornamental cabbages, leeks, and chard mingle with dahlias, cosmos, and zinnias in an explosion of shapes and colors.