2023-06-18 13:00:00
AT a few steps from Trianon, resting on a cushion of greenery, the Bassin du Trèfle watches the clouds pass in the sky. Reservoir of the domain, it is one of those places unknown to the public which tell the invisible story of the royal gardens, like this former nursery which it accompanies discreetly behind whitewashed stone walls. A simple wooden door. This enclosure opens onto the secret world of gardeners. Long out of sight, it is now open to everyone’s curiosity around the theme of perfume. Thanks to the complicity of Francis Kurkdjian and the patronage of his house, it hosts some 300 varieties of intoxicating plants and shrubs used in perfumery… “We wanted to share our olfactory vision, show what nature offers the perfumer in its diversity, and give back to Versailles what this Versailles has always brought me in terms of inspiration and wonder”, explains the perfumer. A long story. We remember his olfactory installations in the Orangery and Latona basin, that of the Three Fountains grove, his perfumed gloves reviving a lost know-how, his perfumes evoking the tastes of Marie-Antoinette and Louis XIV.
And this discreet place, formerly devoted to the flowering cultures of Trianon, to become an open book of history, discoveries and crazy fragrances while remaining a garden for gardeners with a palette of plants offering subtle scents and incredible botanical lessons. . Nice collective work. “Together, gardeners and perfumer, we chose the species, learned from each other and shared the pleasure of seeing it all grow”, poursuit Francis Kurkdjian.
To lose your mind! Thus, in front of the so-called Orangery of Châteauneuf – a long building devoid of any embellishment, where Trianon citrus fruits warm up in winter – bigaradiers, or bitter orange trees, tell of Louis XIV’s passion for their flower, whose essence, baptized “royal orange flower”, perfumed the royal apartments. While further on, “display units”, rectangular flowerbeds wisely arranged on either side of a gravelled path, evoke Marie-Antoinette’s taste for roses, lavender and carnations as well as the fashions for the floral notes that followed. Or Catherine de Medici’s attachment to the iris, whose rhizomes conceal unsuspected fragrances. Or the powers of the heady tuberose, which turned all the heads of the court.
So many memories evoking the art of living in Versailles, which saw the birth of the profession of perfumer! The treasures are endless, such as patchouli and its nettle-like secret leaves. Or vetiver, a generous grass with heady roots. While in a greenhouse, half buried and in the hollow of two frames reminiscent of sowing, stretch out extraordinary collections of basil and marigolds, including the Tagetes minuta with scents of lemongrass and grapefruit which can reach 3 meters in height. And that, further still, sublime Damascus roses, one of the oldest varieties of roses in the world, sing of renewal. To lose your mind! Not to mention, hidden almost everywhere, these “dumb” intruders – hyacinths, peonies, lilies or even violets – which distill generous scents in the garden, but which, voiceless, remain unable to reveal the secret of their fragrance to industry. perfume. What does it matter! A subtle crossroads between the garden and cosmetics, this place of curiosities is an invitation to look, to smell, to remember, to put a name on a plant, to discover its fragrance. “Some offer their leaves, others their flowers, their bark, their fruits, their roots, their seeds. The sense of smell is an integral part of our humanity,” note Francis Kurkdjian.
Roses, including that of May, the famous Centifolia…
… and the irises dear to Catherine de Medici.
Gardener spirit. A perfumer’s dream, this enclosure of scents also hides within its walls a gardener’s puzzle. How to make a garden with fragrant treasures sometimes so discreet that they go unnoticed? “We play with the plants so that there is always something going on, explains Giovanni Delù, the gardener in charge of this unique place. Thus, we associate the May rose, which blooms only once a year – the famous Centifolia rose, the only variety with the Damascus rose to be used in perfumery -, with other remontant and fragrant roses, such as the Count of Chambord whose flowers are very close. We practice rotation. A garden must remain flowery to be pleasing to the eye. »
Still, this subtle enclosure of delights has kept its gardener spirit. The simple shape of its flowerbeds evokes past cultures. The garden remembers and inspires itself daily with the sun, the rain, the wind. Without being invited, a paulownia – the tree with lightning growth – offers nature its sumptuous adornment of purple flowers. Patiently watered with apples, and cradled on organic mulch, the plants sing the beauty of spring. Faced with so many delicacies, the bees wonder§
Perfumer’s garden: guided tour only throughout the summer. €10. Reservation : chateauversailles.fr. Welcome to the Grand Trianon.
Didier-Saulnier (x3) – Jean-Philippe Homé-Sanfaute (x2) – Sebastien GILES (x2) – Didier Saulnier
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