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Living in the Midwest (and on a giant hill no less) might not be the perfect recipe for a French Country garden, but when there’s a desire for a French-inspired outdoor space, there will always be a way! With the unusually warm winter we had this year, we got a head start on creating our backyard French Country garden, and now we get to reap the rewards. Though it wasn’t easy to create a space like this living on a hill, it was worth it. I’ll share the transformation of our own garden, as well as the key elements of French landscaping, so you too can have a space that transports you to the French countryside and makes you say ooh la la.
The Essence of a French Country Garden
When you think of a French Country garden, two styles may come to mind. There are the more informal gardens that are reminiscent of the picturesque French countryside – think of a potager kitchen garden full of herbs, perennial plants scattered throughout, stone elements, and window boxes.
Then you have your more formal gardens – think symmetrical lines, geometric shapes, clean lines, and small ponds on a large estate.
Though there are differences between these French garden styles, there is some overlap, but most importantly, at the heart of French landscape design is a beautiful balance between elegance and rustic charm.
If this sounds a little too abstract, let’s break it down into key design elements and you can see which French-style garden you like best!
Related: What is French Country Style? • The Difference Between French Country, English Cottage, & Farmhouse Style
Traditional Formal French Country Garden Key Elements
Water Features: From ornate multi-tiered fountains to reflective pools, water features not only act as a focal point of the garden, but they introduce an element of calm with their gentle sounds.
Boxwood Hedges: Whether small or tall hedges, boxwoods planted in straight lines act as living sculptures, define spaces, and add structure to the garden’s layout.
Topiaries: Another hallmark of traditional French design, topiaries add interest and showcase the gardener’s skill and creativity.
Geometric Patterns: Instead of letting plants grow where they may, formal gardens have a clean and manicured look, with the planting beds taking on a certain shape that contributes to the overall design.
Stone Gravel Pathways: A beautiful stone gravel pathway invites you to wander, uncover the special places, and explore the rest of the garden.
Cool Color Palette: In a formal garden, you likely won’t see an explosion of color, and instead, you’d find muted, cool tones mainly consisting of green and white. This restrained and simple color palette lends to the elevated French style look.
Perfect Harmony: In a formal garden, perfect harmony is achieved by a “mirror image” garden. Whatever geometric forms are created on one side are mirrored on the other for an aesthetically pleasing look.
Traditional Informal French Country Garden Key Elements
Vegetable Garden: Full of useful and aromatic herbs, a vegetable garden adds an authentic touch, mirroring the practical yet picturesque potagers of rural French homes.
Pea Gravel: Whether used as a path to invite leisurely strolls or to line the garden beds, pea gravel is an essential element for any French Country landscape design.
Wrought-Iron Tables: Chairs and tables that feel as if they were once perhaps part of a quaint café in Provence can be the perfect scenic spot for your morning tea or coffee.
Antique Decor: Antique or repurposed vintage items, from weathered pots to antique garden tools, serve as decorative accents that add to the garden’s timeless appeal.
Architectural Elements: Even in a small courtyard garden, architectural elements matter. You can achieve architectural interest through stone benches, fences, iron accessories, rustic trellises, and wrought-iron gates.
Related: Style Guide: What to Wear to a Garden Party
Selecting French Country Garden Plants and Flowers
First, think about the feeling and colors you want your garden to have, then select the plants that give you this style. Here are some popular French plants to keep in mind:
- Lavender
- Boxwood
- Hydrangeas
- Herbs
- Vegetables
- Roses
If your local climate allows, selecting citrus trees, olive trees, and fruit trees is just what you need to make your garden feel as if you’re on the French Riviera.
Keep in mind that choosing the right types of plants is more complicated than you may think. Do they need to be drought-resistant plants? Deer resistant? Be able to withstand many sunny days? Or perhaps survive with very little sun? When in doubt, consult with a professional landscape designer in your area so you can ensure your hard-earned money doesn’t go to waste – or end up shriveled and dead.
How We Created a French Country Garden in Our Backyard on a Slope
Transforming a sloped backyard into a French Country garden presented its unique challenges, yet it also offered a great opportunity to make the most out of what we had, turning an unusable part of our yard into something usable and beautiful.
It all started with this path (below). Wanting to encourage our children to explore more of our land, we knew a walkable path was necessary. So, we started to clear out the brush and create a walking path.
Once we got it flat(ish) and lined with logs and rocks, I knew I wanted the path to lead somewhere.
That’s when I saw this patch of land that didn’t look like much, but I saw how it was lined by trees and created a natural destination for the path we created. So I thought, why not put a garden there? It’s not the most optimal spot for gardening, but with limited yard space adjacent to our house, it was our best (if not only) option.
It was a long, physically demanding job of clearing out the rocks and brush, building retaining walls (using the rocks that were there), flattening the slope, and backfilling with dirt – and that’s just the foundation part!
After we got the foundation flat(ish) and ready, we then started on the beautiful part. This meant securing and protecting the garden with a gate, placing raised beds, laying landscape paper, finagling 90 bags of pea gravel down 2 hills (hint: it involved the best workout of my life), placing furniture, and planting.
Ready for the reveal?
Before
After
Let’s take a closer look!
To get the look of a wrought-iron element that’s key to a French garden (and to keep the deer out), we added a black aluminum fence.
I do suspect we have some type of small animal coming in (as my strawberries keep growing but there’s never anything to harvest), so we may go and add extra reinforces, otherwise, this seems to work!
This fence that’s sitting on our rock retaining wall protects and defines the space.
Speaking of rock wall…
Thankfully we had enough rocks on our property to create the necessary walls we needed. A pleasant benefit of this rock retaining wall is that it has an old-world, aged look like it’s been there a while. I guess that’s because we uncovered and dug out the rocks from the ground that have been here for decades! Grass and clover started growing through the rocks, adding an enchanting look.
Though I admit I have a lot to learn when it comes to gardening, I’m pleasantly surprised to see that many of my plants are thriving: figs, raspberries, blueberries, beans, and herbs, such as rosemary and lavender. (The herbs are too far for daily access, so they are more for atmosphere and aroma.)
French-style pots and urns are also a must to get that French look – and sneak in a few more places for plants!
Though I’d gladly choose not to install 4,500 pounds of pea gravel again, it was essential to our backyard French Country garden. And I love the outcome! (And my new arm muscles.)
After all of that work, we celebrated with a garden party and then, since I’m a lover of beautiful moments (and scones, let’s be real), we celebrated with a tea party.
If you’re wondering what became of the path to get here…
Before
After
To easily walk up our backyard hill to get to our house, my husband created these log steps for us.
This consisted of finding the right trees at the bottom of our hill, carrying them up the hill, cutting them, and then digging them in. When you talk about a labor of love, this is a prime example!
However, it’s been a game changer in accessing more of our yard and garden. Because you know as well as I do, even if you have the best intentions, if something feels difficult to access you won’t use it.
I would love to continue on the style each year as we live here. The first year was an exhausting year of getting it “up and going”. Each season I’d like to add something and continue to watch it beautify and evolve.
Embracing Our Backyard French Country Garden
Though it wasn’t easy and it’s not perfect, taking on this project allowed us to turn a challenging sloped backyard into an enchanting space that captures the essence and beauty of a French Country garden. Here’s to proving that even the most daunting of landscapes can be transformed into a place of beauty!
Want even more French garden ideas? Up Next: French Garden Styles To Inspire Your Own Backyard Design
