European Connoisseurs Travel

In this interview with the head gardener of Monet’s gardens in France, James Priest expresses his views on the great painter, where art meets horticulture and why he loves the gardens he tends to.

By Richard Forsyth

The job of head gardener at Monet’s gardens in Giverny is a role akin to being guardian of the Holy Grail in horticultural terms and is a prestigious title in France. It’s therefore exceptional for an Englishman, born just north of Liverpool, to have ended up with the responsibility of preserving this French national treasure.

James Priest is now charged with caring for the gardens originally belonging to the founder of French impressionist art – Claude Monet. Monet is a key figure in the history of art for his portrayals of nature, having painted such works as the famous Water Lilies series.

“I finished at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew in eighty six and since then I have spent my professional working life as a gardener in France,” begins James. “Since I have been at Monet’s gardens I have spoken to visitors from all over the world and I am proud to be looking after a garden that is loved by so many people.”

The emotional response

Something that has impressed upon James is that from what ever country visitors originate around the world, the gardens always evoke the same emotional responses, in much the same way as a great painting might do.

“People come into the garden and they say ‘wow!’ They are impacted with so much rich colour that the gardens seem to capture the imagination. I admit that as a professional gardener, I am never going to be satisfied and will always try to improve upon it, but the feedback from people who come to see the gardens is always the same.”

The connection with so many of Monet’s great masterpieces is instantly apparent to anyone strolling through the gardens. The lilies in the still pond water, the oriental bridge over the pond and the rose-way are all Monet’s work in the living.

“Monet was always looking to capture an atmosphere. He originally planted the flowers in the garden so he could paint them and make beautiful art pieces. Now, we are looking at his paintings to inspire us into transforming the garden back into the style when he painted the garden,” muses James Priest. “Many people that come here love Monet – they love his pictures and those pictures are reflected in the flowers. It makes artists appreciate the gardens. Gardeners, in turn, appreciate his art. People come here and feel like they are actually walking in a Monet painting.”

When pressed for a favourite part of the gardens, James diplomatically reveals that he loves the whole of the gardens, but the seasons dictate which are the most enticing at any given time. Therefore in spring time it is the bulbs that impress most when they bloom around Monet’s house, whereas the irises and roses take centre stage as the season goes on. The lilies and sunflowers are inspirational when they flower later in the summer.

As a gardener, every day of his work consists of nurturing part of the garden to bring it to fruition at a specific moment in time in the year and this is a constant process.

Painting with flowers

James Priest recognises a parallel world of creativity with gardening and painting and although having had some art lessons and having enjoyed painting in his rare spare time, the canvas he is most comfortable with is nature.

“As a gardener you are doing exactly what an artist is doing,” he says. “You could say gardeners are painting a picture, but with plants and flowers.”

Whilst much has been written about the great artist Monet, James Priest has a unique take on the man, having to nurture and mould Monet’s gardens to the painter’s original vision on a daily basis.

“Monet had a bit of a reputation of being a grumpy person, but I believe he was a sensitive man and you had to put the character in the context of the period. Stories made him out to be a stiff and rigid person but there was a lot of pressure on him at the time. He had to impose his will on others in that they had to fit into his timetable and he didn’t suffer fools gladly, but he was very popular and friendly with other artists, politicians, poets and writers. That’s not my impression of a grumpy old man.

“Whilst many other painters of his time were drunkards and womanisers, Monet was up in the morning at four o’clock – as soon as it was light in the summer – and he would cross the fields to the river, carrying his canvases. He was extremely hard working but he was looking for tranquillity, naturalness and beauty. So is this his inner nature, I wonder? This is someone who is beautiful inside, at peace with himself, someone who appreciates the natural – in nature and in people. There is a lot of myth about him but you have to step back from some of it. Personally, I think he was a nice old gentleman and I would have liked to have met him if I were around in his era.”

ECT Travel can organise a tour to Monet’s gardens this year for any group wanting to experience this immaculate living artwork of nature.

If you would like to see Monet’s gardens for yourself click here.