Lying behind the urban facades of Paris is a hidden landscape. Whether grandiose or miniscule, highly manicured or exuberantly untended, these fifty secret gardens are rarely seen by casual passersby. Traditional French-style gardens, such as those of Hubert de Givenchy, Kenzo, or Pierre Bergé, are attached to private town houses, and their designs mirror the elegance and restraint of the classic dwellings. The late Yves Saint Laurents romantic, picturesque kitchen garden reflects his taste for outdoor living. Exotic hideaways include giant tropical ferns and rare flowers, greenery surrounding a Russian datcha, and a Japanese zen garden, demonstrating an eclectic range of urban gardens and providing inspiration to the expert gardener and armchair enthusiast.
