Les Jardins de Cadiot, France is a beautiful garden east of Sarlat

Visit Les Jardins de Cadiot

The Jardins de Cadiot is a large garden made up of ten gardens of different themes and can be found in the eastern part of the Dordogne department between Sarlat and Souillac.

Explore the Jardins de Cadiot

The Jardins de Cadiot is one of our favourite gardens in the Dordogne area. It is a large garden with a huge variety of plants and includes more than 1000 different varieties of perennials. Planting at the Cadiot garden began in the 1980s which means the garden is a nice mature garden.

The planting was always intended to have a romantic aspect and indeed the sheer profusion of flowers in addition to the rose tunnel, statues and pond and a strong Italian influence have reinforced this but there are also touches of modernity with the sculpture garden and a large number of grasses used in the borders.

The different garden themes include a vegetable garden, a peony garden, a labyrinth, an English garden, a Tuscany garden and a wild garden. The English garden favours hot colours and has a long border full of day lilies, dahlias, echinacea and lots more brightly coloured flowers. It is at its peak in summer.

By contrast to the hot colours of the English garden the Tuscan garden is a soothing mix of blue and white flowers against a backdrop of clipped green box hedges and topiaries. The blue and white agapanthus both in the ground and in large terracotta pots are stunning in the middle of summer and in spring it is the blue and white irises that take centre stage in the garden.

Peonies are a joy in any garden and here there is a whole garden devoted to them. If you are not sure which to choose for your own garden come in the spring to see the large variety on display.

The Jardins de Cadiot have large collection of hydrangeas, agapanthus, dahlias, asters and grasses and between these make sure there is plenty of interest throughout the year.

Visitors in the spring are welcomed by the flowers of alliums, irises, peonies and roses. Summer visitors will enjoy the hydrangeas, agapanthus and dahlias and in autumn the asters, sages and grasses add to the bold change in colours of the trees and shrubs in the garden.

If you are visiting in the summer you will welcome a spot of shade during your visit and the natural woodland of the Jardins de Cadiot have been enhanced with the plantings of Japanese acers and hardy palms and there is a large collection of contemporary sculptures of Zimbabwe.

When you have finished exploring the gardens there are three charming patios each in a different style where you can enjoy home made cakes and drinks made from plants in the garden sold in the salon de thé. We thoroughly recommend the home made ginger cordial which was absolutely delicious.

Les Jardins de Cadiot visitors guide

Address: Les Jardins de Cadiot, 24370 Carlux

The gardens are open every day from 1 May to 30 September from 10.00-19.00. The price is 7.50 for adults, 6 euros for students and free for under 14s.

Where to visit nearby?

The village of Carlux is very pretty and has the ruins of a chateau in its centre and lots of pretty houses. It is definitely worth stopping and having a look around whilst you are here.

Garden lovers are spoiled for choice around here as the Jardins d'Eyrignac which is an elaborate and beautiful garden of clipped hedges and topiaries as is the Jardins d'eau de Carsac-Aillac which has a fabulous aquatic labyrinth over a large pond full of water lilies and lotus flowers.