French Château Gardens in Autumn

A grand French château of pale stone rises with steep copper-topped turrets and a slate-blue roof, the tricolor flag flying above rows of carved chimneys. Formal gardens spread before it in curving beds of roses, marigolds, lavender and sunflowers, cut by gravel paths that loop past statues and benches. A star-shaped pool holds a tiered stone fountain and a small rowboat drifting among lily pads at its edge. Terraced steps and stone balustrades lead to the château's arched entrance, flanked by potted topiary and climbing flowers above. Rolling hills patched with autumn color and a striped vineyard stretch away on both sides, with a farmhouse tucked among distant trees. Clipped hedges and an ivy-covered archway mark the far end of the lavender rows on the left. Each bed of flowers keeps its own color separate from its neighbor, laying the garden out like a set of adjoining rooms without walls.