The severe heatwave in France is devastating gardens, including Claude Monet’s iconic gardens in Giverny.
Located in Giverny, Normandy, the gardens were situated at the backside of Monet’s residency and personally curated by the artist. They have also served as the scenery for many of his paintings, and as such are of considerable value in the art canon. Unfortunately, the ongoing heatwave in France has already caused significant damage to the gardens. In particular, nasturtiums had almost entirely died off due to the heat. Rémi Lecoutre, the deputy head gardener, and his team have been working constantly to protect vulnerable plants and save what they could.
Lecoutre said: “It’s incredibly sad. This is the first time it has happened to this often and this awful.” He further added: “With mini-sprinklers and underground irrigation, we were able to fight against water stress. That said, some foliage still burned. There are physiological phenomena happening at the plant level. They close their stomata, and they stop flowering. So we had a lot of wilted flowers. It’s also the gardener’s job to adapt … and work out solutions for the heat.”
Also Read: Renaissance Master Works Stolen From Sicily Museum In Daring Theft
Fortunately, the iconic water lilies in the garden have been safe from the heatwave thus far. 2026 also marks the 100th death anniversary of Claude Monet. Numerous exhibitions in his honour have been organized both in France and elsewhere in the world.
