Serre de la Madone

Nestled on a warm south-facing slope of the Gorbio Valley, west of Menton on the French Riviera, Serre de la Madone is a verdant coup de théâtre. Built against the hillside, the garden cascades down the sloping terrain in dozens of terraces brimming with rare and exotic flora, and threaded by a web of stone paths. It was created between 1924 and 1939 by the Paris-born, Anglo-American, Major Lawrence Johnston. A gifted designer and an enthusiastic plant collector, he is best known today for having created Hidcote Manor Garden – the hilltop estate in the England’s Cotswolds, the layout and planting of which has had a profound impact on the art of garden design and home garden making. To mark the centenary of this remarkable garden – which in 1990 was designated by the French State as an Historic Monument - the City of Menton, the Coastal Conservancy and the Association for the Protection of Exceptional Gardens of Menton (ASJEM) are collaborating to undertake a major refurbishment of Johnston’s ‘botanical jewel’ - improving its planting and infrastructure with a view to repairing the garden’s many features and enhancing the visitor’s experience. Todd Longstaffe-Gowan is overseeing the restoration of this precious landscape, with a phased redevelopment plan currently underway.

The Mission Stéphane Bern designated the garden ‘Emblematic Project of 2025’ for the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.

You can see a short overview film produced by Todd Longstaffe-Gowan here