Paris’s Enchanting Rose Garden – The Bagatelle Park in Paris, France

In this lush and bright natural theater lies an entire expanse (spanning several hectares) of delicate and charming roses and wild roses.

The rigorous and perfect French garden, centered around its enchanting rose garden, is the largest and most captivating feature of Paris.

Within a geometrically symmetrical organic pattern, one can admire a splendid collection of roses and wild roses from ancient and modern times, East and West, wild and cultivated varieties—totaling over nine thousand species.

It becomes even more spectacular during the blooming season on sunny days: a vast sea of flowers, vibrant and colorful, dazzling to the eye with its beauty.

Bathed in the rich fragrance of roses, one unknowingly enters God’s Eden.

But do not miss the annual selection of the new rose variety queen; every third Wednesday in June, they compete for the title in this bright rose theater.

Wild Roses (Rosa multiflora): Flowers are smaller, petals face outward, revealing the stamen. Roses (Rosa rugosa/Rosa gallica etc.): Flowers are larger, petals layer inward, hiding the stamen, and produce red hips.

The magnificent Iris Garden (Blue Butterfly Garden), within the lush green hedges, orderly displays over two hundred and fifty varieties of colorful irises.

When spring arrives, after the charming tulips have finished their display, it is the turn of the irises to compete in beauty.

With their diverse pink hues and multiple textures, they are pleasing to the eye, like a poem and a painting combined.

The competing irises form clusters, a brilliant sea of flowers with colorful tones, resembling a naturally sensual and charming abstract painting.

The Iris Garden offers a space for meditation on its bewitching pastel colors.

So beautiful it dazzles the eye; every scene is a naturally sensual and charming abstract painting.

The Lotus Pond, with its shimmering water reflections, sits in a corner of the bright English Natural Theater.

The Lotus Pond features a naturally formed rock cave.

Visitors can walk through the natural rock cave—a cool space perfect for escaping the summer heat.

The lively pond is surrounded by lush aquatic plants (beautiful purple loosestrife, white calla lilies, wild lilies, and colorful water irises, among others) and several dense old trees.

On the mirror-clear surface of the pond, the blue sky, white clouds, and distant white castle are reflected poetically.

To the left of the flower beds in front of the white castle lies a large patch of slender peony beds, verdant and green.

Bagatelle Park is the garden in the City of Flowers that holds the largest collection of peonies.

In Chinese tradition, the peony symbolizes wealth and honor.

The delicate peony is both sexy and charming.

Here resides a wide variety of brilliant peonies; when they bloom, the sight of a sea of flowers is truly captivating.

Due to this year's climate conditions, while visiting the enchanting rose garden, it was rare and surprising to see the brilliant irises and peonies blooming in June—a true miracle.

Text and Images by Chen Qixiang

Preface: This park, lush with flora and tranquil, is the most exquisite and captivating among the royal gardens of the City of Flowers. Its enchanting rose garden is well-known throughout the city. Located on the right side of the dense Boulogne Forest in western Paris, facing the winding Seine River, whenever people speak of the enchanting roses in the capital, they immediately think of the mesmerizing Bagatelle Rose Garden. It is the most fragrant garden in the city; within this classical romantic image, poetic and picturesque, filled with aesthetic beauty, it resembles an earthly Eden. The colorful and beautiful garden, with its harmonious and perfect diversity, is divided into four distinct thematic types: the rigorous and perfect French Classical Garden (including the enchanting Rose Garden), the naturalistic English Garden, the poetic Vegetable Garden, the pictorial Iris Garden, and the Lotus Pond with its shimmering water reflections. Through its multiple forms, volumes, changing light, and diverse visual aesthetics, it has become the most unique and brilliant park in the city.

The Origin of the Brilliant Garden: As early as the beginning of the 18th century, General Estrees built a small villa in the dense Boulogne Forest for his beloved wife. Later, it was renovated into a luxurious small castle named Bagatelle (hence the name). This castle became a paradise for nobles' lavish banquets and leisurely outings. In 1775, it was purchased by the Duke of Artois (future Charles X), brother of Louis XVI. He commissioned the famous architect Belanger to rebuild a more luxurious and beautiful castle in just sixty days, day and night. Simultaneously, under the ingenious creation of the renowned British horticulturist Blaikie, a poetic and picturesque Chinese-English style garden was created (this is the origin of Bagatelle's brilliant garden). During the French Revolution, it escaped destruction and was confiscated. In 1797, it regained its former glory, becoming Napoleon’s hunting lodge, with plans to establish an imperial Roman palace here. After the restoration of monarchy, it returned to the property of the Duke of Artois's family. In 1835, Lord Seymour purchased it, further updating Bagatelle, expanding the brilliant garden, and adding an orangery and stables. Later, his son Sir Richard Wallace added the Trianon and two guard towers. In the 19th century, it became Napoleon III’s brilliant garden.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the government sold it to the Paris City Council. Renowned horticulturist J.-C. Forestier then creatively revitalized Bagatelle, updating the Chinese-English garden. He created the famous Rose Garden, the charming Iris Garden, and the Lotus Pond—a water plant garden. This made Bagatelle more refined and perfect, full of sensibility, shining with the brilliance of garden art, completely renewed. The brilliant garden attracts tens of thousands of flower-seeking visitors and rose lovers from all over the world each year, becoming part of the urban life aesthetic for contemplation and artistic appreciation.

The Rigorous and Perfect French Garden – Ode to Flowers: The rigorous and perfect French Garden is located in the north of the park, dominated by colorful flower beds and borders. It is the most flamboyant and colorful area of the tranquil Bagatelle garden. In this bright natural theater, within strict symmetrical geometric forms, vitality abounds. The sight of a sea of flowers throughout the four seasons is mesmerizing, full of momentum and charm, like an earthly Eden.

Seasonal Symphony – Seasonal Flower Beds in Front of the Gardener’s House: Entering the park along the lush shaded path on the right, passing the country restaurant, one arrives at the long, brilliant seasonal flower beds in front of the gardener’s house. Colorful and beautiful, centered around a series of arched green corridors formed by climbing wild roses, roses, wisteria, and honeysuckle, leading directly to the ivy-covered gardener’s house, it is pleasing to the eye. Symmetrical brilliant flower beds on both sides are neatly trimmed with evergreen boxwood, brimming with vitality in these elegant curved forms. The high wall on the right is covered with climbing plants (wisteria, clematis, honeysuckle, etc.). The low wall on the left is adorned with a series of large seasonal flower pots. In these multiple forms and volumes, visual美感 is abundant.

When the new year begins and everything is renewed, brilliant flower pots ignite the spark of spring, with patches of colorful tulips, daffodils, and violets. In the sun-drenched summer praise, comprehensive brilliant floral plants scatter like heavenly maidens distributing flowers, colorful and spectacular, reaching the climax of nature’s symphony. When nature’s palette shifts from emerald green to red and gradually to orange-yellow, under the poetry of autumn, radiant chrysanthemums fill the eyes like rosy clouds. And in the solemn cold of winter, cute pansies add to the natural beauty.

The Poetic Vegetable Garden and Pictorial Iris Garden: The practical and beautiful vegetable garden is located behind the gardener’s cottage. Within these green little plots, various seasonal vegetables are planted in neat rows: lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, red leaf lettuce, carrots, thistle, tomatoes, eggplants, onions, garlic, etc. Amidst the varying heights and volumes, with diverse hues and multiple textures, it is pleasing to the eye, like a sweet pastoral poem.

Next comes the brilliant Iris Garden (Blue Butterfly Garden). Within the lush green hedges, over two hundred and fifty varieties of colorful irises are displayed in orderly rows. According to Greek mythology, Iris (the iris flower) is the daughter of Neptune (son of Poseidon) and the mermaid Lektra, the most beautiful child in her family, named Iris. Later, Iris became a nymph serving the goddess Zeus. Her task was "when a good person dies on earth, she descends via the rainbow between heaven and earth to separate the soul from the body, and carry the soul back to heaven." Therefore, ancient Greeks often planted irises on graves or engraved them on tombstones, hoping that the souls of the deceased could entrust themselves to the nymph Iris to be carried back to heaven (Note 1). Thus! When spring arrives, after the charming tulips have finished their display, it is the turn of the irises to compete in beauty. Clusters of flowers form a brilliant sea, with colorful tones resembling a naturally sensual and charming abstract painting.

Roses, Oh Roses: Among all plants in nature, I believe the brilliant and delicate rose is the most outstanding and well-known. It has consistently captivated people, accompanying humanity intimately from ancient times to the present. Its numerous touching legends and metaphors are deeply rooted in folklore. Countless poets, painters, writers, composers, and musicians have continuously drawn inspiration from her. Since ancient times, lovers and spouses have used her to express deep affection. Even noble ladies, especially Queen Marie Antoinette and Empress Joséphine (in every enchanting rose garden, there are rose varieties dedicated to queens and empresses), and the great French female writer George Sand, could not resist the captivating magic radiated by roses.

Among the many plants in nature, roses and wild roses have the most varieties and the highest economic value. New varieties continue to emerge to this day; wild, grafted, ancient, and modern varieties all hold their fame. No other flower emits such a wide range of special fragrances. No other flower possesses such infinite color tones. Moreover, no flower has a longer blooming season than hers; for example, miniature roses bloom like a sea of flowers year-round. Pleasing and delicate rose flowers vary in size: large blooms can be as big as an adult palm, while miniature ones are only the size of a ten-cent coin. Both roses and wild roses belong to shrub plants, easy to cultivate and suitable for various types of flower beds. Especially due to their vine-like nature, they become a medium for gardeners' creative shaping, brimming with vitality and fascinating. Roses thus become the "Queen of Flowers" in the brilliant garden.

So! What is the main difference between roses and wild roses? Checking a French dictionary, there is only the word for "rose," no word for "wild rose." In Japanese, however, there is only the term for "wild rose," where does "rose" come from? Generally, "wild rose" refers to all native Rosa species. "Rose" is one of the many native species within the Rosaceae family. Wild Roses: Flowers are smaller, petals face outward, revealing the stamen. Roses: Flowers are larger, petals layer inward, hiding the stamen, and produce red hips.

The Enchanting Rose Garden: The rigorous and perfect French Garden, centered around the enchanting Rose Garden, is the largest and most captivating place. In this lush and bright natural theater lies an entire expanse (several hectares) of delicate and charming roses and wild roses. Within a geometrically symmetrical organic pattern, one can admire a splendid collection of ancient and modern, Eastern and Western, wild and cultivated roses and wild roses—totaling over nine thousand species, dazzling to the eye. In their orderly arrangement, vitality abounds. Two large conical yew tree beds in the center stand out prominently amidst the rhythmic variation of rose clusters. On the left, a series of arch-shaped brilliant flower corridors and pergolas formed by climbing vines are dotted with a row of thick conical yews and series of round sculpted boxwoods; their ingenious shapes are thought-provoking. On the right, the distant generous orangery serves as the background, full of visual美感. Directly ahead, on a lush small hill, stands a romantic-style white Queen’s gazebo, poetic and picturesque, overlooking the scene from above, making it the best spot to view the magnificent panorama of the Rose Garden.

Thus! Every time the weather is fine and roses are in full bloom, it is even more spectacular: a vast sea of flowers, vibrant and colorful, so beautiful it dazzles the eye. Bathed in the rich fragrance of roses, one unknowingly enters God’s Eden. Those pilgrims wandering through the brilliant flower clusters, like drunk butterflies, are intoxicated by nature’s grand visual and spiritual feast, lingering unwillingly to leave.

But do not miss the annual selection of the new rose variety queen; every third Wednesday in June, they compete for the title in this bright rose theater. Experts, horticulturists, technicians, and artists from around the world are invited to form the Rose Selection Committee (a ceremony with over ninety years of history, becoming a grand ritual in the city’s horticulture). From the numerous new varieties, they select winners for Fragrance Award, Color Award, Form Award, etc. So when people visit the Rose Garden, beneath each rose cluster, there is a nameplate indicating which enchanting rose once held the title of queen.

Brilliant Seasonal Flower Beds in Front of the Orangery: The brilliant seasonal flower beds are adjacent to the Rose Garden, centered around the generous orangery. In this rigorous and perfect traditional French brilliant flower bed, a small circular water-mirror fountain serves as the core, becoming the gathering point of the entire garden. In this swirling form, on the diagonal axes of the double rings, there are pairs of small circular and square brilliant flower beds, with large circular flower beds surrounding the inner and outer rings, forming a trio of circular seasonal flower beds. Along the strict diagonal brilliant paths, stone flower pots decorate generously, beautiful and magnificent, with brocade-like flowers year-round, fascinating. (The orangery hosts regular indoor concerts every summer in the city.)

The Great Maze: Passing through the orangery, following the lush shaded path, crossing the brilliant path, one enters the dense forest. A small hill constructed of green shrubs—the Great Maze, like a labyrinth, spirals from large to small, ring upon ring, guiding people to the top of the maze hill. Its commanding height, as the poem says: "To see a thousand miles, go up another floor," makes it a vantage point to overlook the natural beauty of the lush garden.

The Naturalistic English Garden: Penetrating the dense forest, emerging from the poetic English Garden (located in the south of the park). Nature here is full of vitality and energy; its green and harmonious scenery resembles the bright rural landscape. First, a winding quiet shaded path leads to a naturally formed small rocky cliff, full of visual美感 with its varied forms. Babbling waterfalls and stream flows, lively banks, lined with patches of lush colorful shrubs and perennial flowers. The winding stream flows into the shimmering small pond. On the water theater with abundant flora and fauna, groups and pairs of white swans and mandarin ducks constitute a tempting natural beauty.

Passing through the rock cave, emerging into a vast horizon, a large expanse of lawn spreads out like a large green carpet draped over this bright natural theater. Tall and straight trees stand everywhere on the lawn (oaks, chestnuts, plane trees, beeches, cedars, sequoias, etc.). Under the shade, an exotic Oriental gazebo stands. Lively patches of brilliant wild roses, camellias, rhododendron clusters, and conifers border the lush grass, colorful and beautiful year-round. The distant Bagatelle white castle and Trianon serve as excellent backdrops for the magnificent scenery. In the floriferous garden, a few pairs of free-spirited peacocks, amidst bird songs and flower scents, make one feel as if exploring Tao Yuanming’s Peach Blossom Spring. In this interplay of multiple volumes, changing light, and diverse visuals, excellence and perfection are achieved. Every scene is a beautiful landscape painting; every corner is permeated with the breath of poetry. Pleasing to the eye, making people linger unwillingly to leave.

The Charm of Spring: However, in this floriferous English garden, when the earth awakens from the harsh winter and spring returns, beneath the stark trees, vitality abounds. The lovely crocus, heralding spring, extends its charm in the low temperatures. Next, a dazzling sea of flowers—colorful tulips, delicate daffodils, bright violets, and fritillaries, plus cherry blossoms and magnolias where flowers appear before leaves, flourish brightly, displaying the charm of spring in a riot of colors, so beautiful it dazzles the eye. It is an unmissable opportunity for flower viewing in the city.

The Lotus Pond with Shimmering Reflections: The Lotus Pond with shimmering reflections is located in a corner of the bright English Natural Theater, behind the white castle. The lively pond is surrounded by lush aquatic plants (beautiful purple loosestrife, white calla lilies, wild lilies, and colorful water irises, etc.) and several dense old trees (most notably the weeping beech, over two hundred years old). On the mirror-clear surface of the pond, the blue sky, white clouds, and distant white castle are reflected poetically. In this imaginative multi-dimensional space and visual美感, lotus flowers, water lilies, and duckweed float, pristine from the mud, picturesque and fascinating. The pondside facing the castle is lush with flowers and grass. A concave-convex rock cliff forms a cave, inside which a babbling waterfall flows. To roam and enjoy oneself amidst such magnificent hills and valleys is indeed joyful.

Next! Passing through the Lotus Pond with shimmering reflections, one arrives at the backyard of the white castle. Centered around a rectangular water mirror, surrounded by orderly symmetrical geometric brilliant flower beds, brocade-like flowers adorn the White Palace year-round. To the left of the brilliant flower beds lies a large patch of slender peony beds, verdant and green. Bagatelle Park is the garden in the City of Flowers that holds the largest collection of peonies. Here resides a wide variety of brilliant peonies; when they bloom, the sight of a sea of flowers is truly captivating.

(The city has two famous enchanting rose gardens; the other is the Parc de Roseraie de L’Hay-les-Roses.) (Note: Address – Route de Sèvres 92200 Neuilly. Phone: 0140679700. Opening Hours: Summer 8:30–20:30, Winter 9:00–17:00.)

Note 1: Reference Ode to Perennial Flowers Across Four Seasons, p.108 (published by Green Life Magazine).